The Pride
by Silver-WhiteKyurem
Summary: The only completed novel I have on my laptop. Post WW3, Young Raven Eromreven grows up in a world controlled by a governmental vicegrip. What happens when a mysterious man approaches her about stopping it? And is this solution really what it appears to be?
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter One**

"Today, college seniors all over the world will begin taking their Career Exams. Over the course of this week they will take the final test before moving on into the real world. Good luck to any of you who may be watching this. In other news, the World Parliament came to a decision today about the trade sanctions imposed on South America, and have decided to lift only a few of them..."

The newscaster on the television screen continued talking in his boring monotone, pointing to a map of the world projected behind him. The viewer, a middle-aged woman with sandy blonde hair and vibrant green eyes, leaned a little farther off of the dark brown couch to get a better look at the map. She sighed and brushed her long hair out of her face, listening with interest to what the newscaster had to say.

"Mom, will you turn that crap off?"

The woman sighed and picked up the remote, pausing the television.

"I'll finish it after you leave. Are you ready for your first exam?" the woman asked, turning to look back at the person who had spoken.

A young woman looked back at her with muted gray-blue eyes, stuffing a black electronic writing tablet into a hefty-looking blue backpack. She sighed and zipped the bag up, throwing it over her thin frame and putting her arms through the loops. The young woman was somewhat short and very thin, with pale skin and black hair that fell slightly past her shoulders. She wore a simple outfit, a pair of dark blue jeans, a black shirt, and a dark purple jacket. She glanced down at the watch on her left wrist, then looked back to her mother.

"As ready as I'll ever be. Where's Dad?" she asked quickly.

"Back in the art studio." her mother answered, standing up and walking over to her daughter.

"Wow, that's a surprise." the young woman muttered darkly.

"Your father works hard for this family, Raven. Now, hurry up. You don't want to be late for your exam. Good luck, dear." the woman's mother pulled her close in a soft hug, then let her go.

Raven smiled softly and nodded, then turned and started to slowly pick her way to the art studio. The ground was covered with stray paint brushes, clumps of dried paint, and examples of her father's artwork. He was a painter, and all of his paintings depicted happy scenes of children playing, or lush landscapes, or polite government meetings. Of course, that was all he was allowed to paint; if he deviated from that, he could be thrown in prison for treason.

"Father, I'm leaving for my first exam." Raven called out, turning the corner into the art studio.

The studio was even messier than the living room, with brushes, paint, art, and crumpled up papers scattered all over the room. The walls, ceiling, and floor were splattered with a rainbow of colors, making the room look terribly disorganized;which, of course, it was. Raven's father stood at the far end of the room, hovering over a half-filled canvas and holding a palette in one of his large hands.

Raven's father was a tall, thin, wiry man with tired gray eyes and wispy black hair. He wore a white smock, which by now was covered with paint, over his jeans and loose green shirt. A pair of sharp gray-rimmed glasses sat on the bridge of his long nose, giving him an almost librarian-like appearance. He smiled warmly at her and waved with his free hand.

"Good luck, Raven! I know you'll do well!" he said happily.

"What are you painting now, dad?" Raven asked, standing on tiptoe to get a better look at the canvas.

Half of the canvas had been painted to look like a towering waterfall, its torrents of crystal blue water tumbling down into a lush green forest. It was incredibly detailed, with lines down the visible patches of brown tree trunks and white mist rising off of the waterfall. Raven's father smiled softly to himself and set his palette down.

"It's Angel Falls. It's the tallest waterfall in the world, in an area of South America that used to be called Venezuela. I've never seen it personally, but I've always wanted to. Now, you had better get going or you'll be late for your exam!" he smiled and turned back to his work.

Raven watched him for a moment, then sighed and smiled softly.

"Alright, dad. I'll see you later." she said, then turned and left the room.

Raven picked her way carefully out of the room, then made her way to the front door. She left the house quickly and walked to the edge of the road, turning to look back at her parent's house. It was a small, one-story building, made of gray stones with a black tile roof. All of the surrounding houses looked like it, too. They lived in one of the middle-class neighborhoods, near the outer edges of the city of Tumbledown.

Tumbledown was a small city, compared to places like Atlanta and Raleigh; in fact, it was only a few minutes away from Atlanta. It was located a few hours drive from the east coast, and sat upon very flat, and admittedly very boring, land. It was located in what had been the state of Georgia before World War Three. Now, all of the states in North America had been dissolved into one big nation, simply called America, to increase the federal government's control over their people. Of course, even they had to bow to the totalitarian command of the World Parliament.

The World Parliament had formed a few weeks after the end of WW3 in 2046, thirty years ago . It was made up of one member from each country, elected by each country's federal government. They held all of the true power, and exercised complete control over the world. Their decisions effected the entire world, and there was no-one to tell them that something "wasn't fair". Due to this, they ruled with an iron fist, used cruel punishment against anyone who did anything against them, and ran everyone's lives from start to finish. It was the World Parliament that had come up with the idea of the Career Exam, and they quickly implemented it.

Raven scowled and shook her head, then began jogging up the road to the bus stop. She soon came upon the small set of steel benches, and sat down to wait for the bus. She had a hover car, but it was illegal to drive one until you had been given your career assignment a few weeks after taking your Career Exam. Once you had your career assignment, a lot of freedoms were opened up to you. You could drive, you could start dating, and you could even travel to other countries if you wanted to. Traveling abroad could be very dangerous, considering that the World Parliament had decided that if two countries were having issues that compromise couldn't solve, they would simply fight it out on a battlefield. The winner of the battle would get whatever it was that they wanted, while the other country got nothing but a burned ego. Just thinking about it made Raven shudder; she really hoped that her Career Exam didn't put her in the military.

Raven sighed and removed her backpack, setting it down on the ground by her feet. She unzipped it quickly and pulled out her P.D.A writing tablet, zipping her bag back up and turning the flat device on hastily. It came on quickly, and she immediately pulled up a file she had saved with a list of all of the careers she could be chosen for based off of her Career Exam score. The list was massive, yet she had gone through all of it and color-coded each of them. Blue was for jobs she would like, green was for jobs she would be ambivalent about, and red was for a job she would absolutely hate. The amount of red on the list was a little discouraging, especially since most of the red marks were for government jobs. She smirked and read a few of them out loud to herself.

"Agent for Healthcare Research and Quality...absolute lie. They don't care about out healthcare. Agent for International Development...humph. Another load of crap there. Animal and Plant Health Inspector...yeah, because the World Parliament cares about plants and animals. They proved their opinions of them when they proclaimed that it was open season year round on any animal in the world. Battlefield Clearer..." she paused at this one and suppressed a shudder.

Being a Battlefield Clearer was quite possibly one of the most disgusting jobs that the World Parliament could have possibly cooked up. It was a government job, so the pay was excellent, but the job itself was both pointless and sickening. After WW3, the World Parliament decreed that if two countries were going to have a battle, it had to be done on a cleared field. This meant that someone was going to have to go and get rid of any leaves, rocks, limbs, or whatever else was on the land chosen for the battle. That was where the Battlefield Clearers came in. They would travel by plane to the country where the battle was to take place and use their equipment to clean up the battlefield. Their jobs weren't done there, however; they had to clean up the field after the fight, too.

That was where the job got really rotten. Bodies of fallen soldiers were not claimed after the battles. They were left on the field for the Clearers to deal with, along with bullet casings, broken weapons, and whatever else the soldiers had with them when they died. The Clearers would pile all of the bodies up and use some sort of government-issue flamethrower to completely disintegrate the bodies, and everything else on the battlefield. It was terribly sad and cruel, especially since the poor dead soldiers had families back home waiting for them to return.

"Absolute disgrace." Raven muttered darkly, turning the tablet off and sliding it back into her backpack.

She sighed and leaned back against the back of the bench, rubbing her hands together to try and warm them up. It was mid-Winter, and the air was brittle, dry, and very cold. She wrapped her jacket around her tighter and hoped that the bus would hurry up and arrive. Within a few minutes, her wish was granted.

A large yellow hover bus pulled up in front of the bus stop. It floated a few inches off of the ground, emanating a soft blue light from underneath it. Raven could see several people her age sitting within the giant vehicle, looking out at her tensely; everyone was nervous about the Career Exams. She smiled softly and waved as she spotted one of her friends sitting near the back of the bus before standing up, grabbing her backpack, and climbing up the messy stairs of the vehicle. She wrinkled her nose at the familiar yet foul stench of the inside of the bus as she made her way past several nervous and scared looking students to sit next to her friend.

The girl was the same age as Raven, with short blonde hair and vibrant green eyes. She wore a pink shirt and a pair of tan shorts, and wore an absolutely terrified expression on her face. She clutched her P.D.A in a vice-like grip and was mouthing words to herself at a frantic pace, trying to study last minute for the Career Exam.

Raven smiled understandingly and poked her friend on the shoulder.

"Claire, are you alright?" she asked quietly.

Claire turned sharply to look at her, her eyes wide with panic.

"Am I alright? Of course not! The Career Exam starts today, and I'm nowhere near ready for them!" she cried unhappily.

"Oh, come on. You've been studying incessantly for two weeks. I'm sure you will be much more than fine. Just relax and try not to overstress." Raven replied with a sigh;Claire was known for getting herself all worked up over something she was more than prepared for.

"How can you be so calm about this? These exams decide what we'll be doing for the rest of our lives! You should be looking over your notes, too!" Claire exclaimed emphatically.

"I've already studied a lot for the exams. Studying more right before them won't help me any, it'll just make me more nervous about them. There's no use in beating a dead horse."

Claire sighed at her friend's seemingly calm mood and shook her head, and they fell into silence as the bus began its trip toward the school. They attended college at University; the formal names of all of the schools in the world had been stripped away after the war. They were all supposedly united under one name, University, so that none of the countries got competitive over the student's grades. Every school in the world ran on the same clock, used the same hologram-projected teachers, and taught the same curriculum. This was supposed to unify all students all over the world, but really it was just another way for the World Parliament to control how everyone thought. If everyone had the same knowledge, they reasoned, then everyone would have the same opinions. If they influenced and warped those opinions, then no one would ever say a word against them.

Within about twenty minutes the hover bus landed carefully in front of the large brown University building, and the anxious students filed out of the vehicle. The University building was massive, made from brown stone and with several floors. The windows were small and kept extremely clean, so they glittered in the light like clusters of little diamonds. Several staircases made of gray stone led up to the many entrances of the building, where the student's ID card was checked by a machine on the wall next to the door before they were allowed inside. Waiting for everyone in front of you to scan their card and go inside was tedious, so it was always a good idea to try to be near the front of the line. Unfortunately, Raven and Claire hardly ever achieved this goal, and today was no different.

The girls ran toward the school the moment they stepped off of the hover bus, but there was already a long line of students waiting to get inside at all of the entrances. They stopped for a moment and groaned at the sight, then jogged over to the end of the nearest line. Raven groaned audibly as Claire continued her frantic studying.

"Claire, put that away. We're already at the school, all you're doing is working yourself up. Just take a few deep breaths and relax a little." she said soothingly.

"I'll put it up when we get close to the door. I just want to make sure I remember all of the math laws and theories. I really want to be a Computer Analyst for some big company, so math is really important. I really think you should study, too, or you'll get a crappy job like a Dumpster Diver or a Farmer or something." Claire said with a concerned look on her face.

"There's nothing wrong with being a farmer. Anything would be better than a government job." Raven replied somewhat darkly.

Claire sighed and rolled her eyes at her friend's dark view of government jobs. She knew that Raven disapproved of the way the World Parliament ran things, but she didn't understand why she hated it so much. Sure, the government was abusive, but it had to be that way. If it wasn't this way, then the world would fall apart and chaos would rule. No one wanted the world to fall into the same discord that WW3 had brought, so they allowed the World Parliament to impose its strict order over them. Having a government job was considered an honor, and it payed well, too.

"Take what you can get, Raven. A job is a job, even if it is for the government." Claire said with a sigh.

"I just hope I get chosen for a job that keeps me as far from the World Parliament as possible." Raven muttered back.

The line moved slowly forward, and soon they were close to the front of the line. Claire put her P.D.A away and pulled her ID card from a pocket on the inside of her small pink handbag. Raven smiled softly and pulled hers out of her pants pocket and looked down at the picture, which had been taken at the beginning of the year. In the photo, she had longer hair. She groaned at the picture and turned it away from her; she hated how her hair had looked when that photo had been taken. Raven chuckled at her and rolled her eyes, pulling her own I.D card from her pocket. She looked almost exactly the same in her picture, and had nothing to complain about. Seeing her friend's reaction to her picture always amused her.

They soon got to the door, and Raven scanned her card first. The machine beeped loudly, then the sliding door slid open and allowed her inside. She stood next to the door and waiting for Claire to follow. Once she had entered, the two started down the hallway toward the room where they would both be taking their test. The door to the classroom was still closed, as the exams didn't start for another ten minutes. Raven and Claire walked over to the wall next to the door and sat down with their backs against the wall. Raven sighed and relaxed, closing her eyes and waiting for the classroom door to open. Claire pulled P.D.A from her backpack and began quickly looking over her notes one final time before the anxiously-awaited Career Exam.

After a few minutes, the door slid open. Raven and Claire stood up and followed the other 48 students who would be taking their tests in that room. The interior of the room was painted a simple white, with 50 desks in five rows of ten. In the front of the room was the hologram projection machine, which would project an image of their teacher. It wasn't a real person, just a computer generated image of a woman with a monotonous voice. Raven had quickly grown tired of the boring woman's sleep-inducing lectures, and had taken to using books to teach herself. She usually tuned the teacher out and doodled on her P.D.A's drawing pad. It always looked like she was taking notes, so the hologram teacher never called her out on it, leaving her to ignore the lecture in peace. When she would get home, she would print her doodles off of the P.D.A and hang them up on the walls of her room. The walls were covered with scraps of colored paper, and she had long ago forgotten what color the paper beneath the layer of drawings was.

Raven sighed and sat down at her desk, setting her backpack down and opening it. She dug around inside for a moment and pulled out a small bottle of water and her P.D.A while Claire sat down at the desk next to her. The girls sat in silence as the other students took their seats. Raven's eyes locked on a clock hanging over one of the windows, watching the hands on the clock as time for the exam approached. A soft fizzing noise caught her attention, and she tore her gaze off of the clock and looked at the front of the room, where the hologram projector was. A figure now hovered a few inches above the machine, wavering and fizzing slightly; it was Professor Hologram, their instructor.

Professor Hologram was a tall, lean woman, with very pale skin and neat gray hair tied back in a tight little bun atop her head. She had beady green eyes that watched the class behind a pair of oversized glasses. She wore a plain gray dress that went down to just below the knee and a pair of black dress shoes. She wasn't a real person, so her image went in and out of focus sometimes, and would make slight crackling noises during heavy storms.

Professor Hologram nodded stiffly at the class and smiled, and the class flinched a little as the door to the classroom slid shut with a loud snap. The holographic teacher then cleared her computer-generated throat and began to give the speech given to students all over the world who were taking Career Exams.

"Welcome, students, to your first day of the World Parliament issued Career Exams. You are preparing to embark on a journey that will lead to the rest of your lives, and the World Parliament wants nothing more than to help you achieve your goals." the hologram spoke in a boring drone.

Raven snorted derisively at this, but Professor Hologram ignored her and continued her speech.

"In order for you to begin your journey, you must first complete the Career Examinations, which will be used to place you into a career that fits your qualifications. The test will be taken on your P.D.A system, and will be held in six-hour sessions, spanning the length of this upcoming week. I will be watching for any signs of cheating, so it is ill-advised to try. If you are caught cheating you will be expelled from the exam and will not be given a chance to re-test."

Raven knew exactly what that meant. If someone was kicked out of the exam, they ended up jobless and on the streets. Businesses were not allowed to hire people who had somehow gotten booted from the Career Exams, and few people cared enough to spare them any money or food. They hung like shadows in the back alleys of the city, staring hopefully at anyone who passed by, growing bitter and cold as their silent pleas for help were ignored and brushed aside. Most of them died within the first year of becoming such a person, living off of the street like lone wolves. Those who died were the lucky ones; the survivors lived lives of constant pain, hunger, and abuse by government officials.

"Now, prepare to take the first part of your Career Exam. There should be a box on your P.D.A labeled Career Exam. When you select this box, you will be taken to the first question of today's section of the exam. There are one hundred and seventy questions on this exam, including four essays. In six hours, when the clock strikes four o'clock pm, the door will open and you will be dismissed. Now, select the Career Exam box and take the first step into the rest of your lives!"


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two**

Raven sighed for perhaps the hundredth time that day, standing on tiptoe to peer over the heads of the long line of students in front of her. The air buzzed with conversation as the line inched its way forward, shifting impatiently as it moved. Anxious students chatted with one another as they speculated about the results of their Career Exams. Raven stood by passively as they shifted and twitched, her face a stony mask hiding the terror within. Claire stood in front of her, bouncing on her heels and glancing around nervously. She made an impatient noise and looked back at Raven, getting even more nervous at the calm look on her friend's face.

"Ugh, Raven! How can you be so calm about this? These results will tell us what we'll be doing for the rest of our lives!" she almost whined.

Raven Shrugged, "I don't know. I'm just not going to worry about my results until I find out what they are, which will be in a few years at this rate."

Claire bit her upper lip anxiously at this, making her lip look like an upside-down letter V. Raven chuckled to herself at the gesture, something that her friend always did when she was nervous. She then groaned and cast a glance over the crowd again, swallowing her own anxiety. She tried to focus on something else, eventually just staring out of one of the nearby windows.

It had been two weeks since the last day of the Career Exams, and all of the twenty-two or three year old college seniors in the Atlanta, area were lined up inside or around the Atlanta Federal Building to get their results. The building was several stories tall, with high-arching windows and imposing marble walls. Elevators made of cold steel carried people to their destinations; the spiral marble staircase that had been in the building had been removed years ago. The college students packed themselves into the downstairs lobby like sardines, and eventually some semblance of order had been established by a few of the federal employees. Now, a massive line wound its way around the interior of the first floor and out the door, stretching its way out into one of the large parking lots behind the building. The beginning of this impatient line was a foot or so in front of a single reception desk, and the poor receptionist looked like a mess.

The receptionist looked like she was only a few years older than the students she was trying to help, with long, wavy brown hair and deep brown eyes. She looked like she was trying to get results for the students as fast as she could, and the crispness of her gray uniform had been replaced by loose hair and wrinkles several hours before. She had bags under her eyes, and it was clear that she needed someone to give her a break, but there was no sign of anyone coming to help her.

"Hope I don't get Government Receptionist. Jeez, it looks like an awful job." Raven muttered.

"It does look really stressful, but someone has to do it, right? I'm sure both of us did well enough on the exams to get a better job than that." Claire replied with an encouraging smile.

"With all of the studying you did, you could easily have gotten a job as an assistant to the World Parliament or something fancy like that. Maybe you'd have a chance for promotion then, and become a member yourself!" Raven smirked and nudged her friend on the arm.

"Yeah, right. I'd rather not, that would be more stressful than the desk job. Maybe you could do it. What is it that you're hoping you got, Raven?" Claire asked curiously, surprised with herself for not thinking to ask before.

"I want to be a novelist, or an artist like my dad. Something artistic. If I do become a painter, I'll make sure that I spend time with my family, though." Raven sighed bitterly and gave her friend a weary smile.

"Your old man still spends all of his time alone in that studio of his, then?"

"Yeah. I love my dad, I really do, but...I just wish that he would spend more time with us, ya know?"

Claire nodded in understanding, taking a few steps forward as the line moved.

"Yeah, I get it. Maybe you two can paint together." she said with a grin as her friend followed her.

"I guess so. That would be pretty cool." Raven smiled at her warmly.

Another hour and a half passed before it was Claire's turn to get her results. She approached the receptionist nervously, biting her upper lip again. Raven chuckled at her and nudged her forward with an encouraging smile. Claire smiled back and nodded, then returned her attention to the receptionist, who looked more frazzled than ever.

"Your name?" the exhausted woman asked in a voice soft from overuse.

"Claire Fairbanks." Claire replied nervously, fidgeting with the hem of her shirt.

The receptionist sighed and began typing on the large laptop sitting on her desk. She combed through a very long list of names, squinting at the screen with tired eyes. After almost five minutes of searching, she gave a relieved nod and leaned closer to the screen.

"Here you are. You're a Systems Analyst for the American Federal Government, based up in Washington D.C. Congratulations." the receptionist said blandly.

Claire grinned happily and clapped her hands, unable to contain herself.

"Raven, did you hear that? I can't believe it!" she exclaimed loudly, tears in her eyes.

"Of course. You studied really hard, you deserve the job you wanted. Congrats." Raven replied with a small smile.

Claire's grin widened, and she turned back to the impatient receptionist. The woman handed her a small P.D.A chip, which Claire stuffed into her pocket happily.

"Those are your instructions. Follow them to the dot and you'll be at work in no time. Now, next!" she shouted.

Claire smiled and stepped out of the way, letting Raven walk up to the desk.

"I'll go wait outside for you! Good luck, Raven!" she yelped before disappearing into the crowd.

"Your name?" the receptionist asked in an even more frustrated tone than before.

"Raven Eromreven." Raven replied blankly, biting back her anxiety.

The receptionist nodded and began searching the database again, her lip twitching in amusement at the odd last name. It only took a minute to find her name.

"Your name's been the easiest to find. You have an odd last name." she said with a smile.

"Yeah, well...not much I can do about that." Raven replied impatiently, not in the mood for this little chat.

The receptionist seemed to sense her impatience and gave a small, understanding smile.

"Congratulations, miss. You're going to be a Battlefield Clearer." she said with a smile.

Raven went rigid and stared at the woman in complete shock. Her jaw dropped, and all of the color drained from her face. Battlefield Clearer! The one job she had wanted the least, and the one she would be stuck doing for the rest of her life. The receptionist smiled at her, mistaking her utter disappointment for sheer happiness.

"Here is your P.D.A chip with your instructions on it. Give it a look and you'll be cleaning up battlefields all over the world in no time!" the woman smiled and pressed the tiny chip into Raven's hand.

"Yes, thank you." Raven replied with a stiff nod, stuffing the chip into her pocket.

Other students paid her no attention as Raven pushed through them toward the door. It had started to rain, and she groaned at the sight of heavy pellets of frigid water plummeting out of the sky. Claire stood just outside of the door, holding a pink umbrella over her head. Raven pushed the door open and joined her, pulling her own black umbrella out of her dark blue purse.

"So, what did you get, Raven?" Claire asked as they began walking down the busy city street.

"Battlefield Clearer." Raven grumbled back at her, hunching her shoulders in bitter sadness.

"Oh, I'm sorry! But, look on the bright side. Battlefield Clearers get paid a pretty good sum, and you'll get to travel all over the world." Claire offered with a halfhearted shrug.

"Yeah, to clear away bodies and burn them after the fight. It's disgusting, not to mention absolutely degrading of human life! Instead of sending the bodies back home like they used to, they make other people burn them, just because they don't want to spare any more land for cemeteries. Am I the only person who thinks that's sick?" Raven hissed angrily.

"No, but you know that talking like that could get you into a lot of trouble, so I suggest you keep that to yourself. Come on, we both need to get home before this storm gets any worse." Claire glanced around nervously, making sure no one had heard Raven's tangent.

Raven sighed and let it go, not wanting to make her friend uncomfortable.

"Fine. Let's head back to the bus stop and catch a ride back to Tumbledown." she said bluntly.

"Good idea."

The two fell silent, and spent the five minute walk to the nearest bus stop in thoughtful quiet. They soon got to the bus stop and sat down at the bench, watching the rain fall in cold, dark sheets. After almost half an hour of awkward silence, the hover bus pulled up in front of them. The two girls eagerly climbed aboard and dropped a few coins into the fee jar, taking their seats in the back of the bus. The bus lurched, then began its journey forward. Raven groaned at her unfortunate career and slumped down in her seat, a dark cloud settling around her. Claire looked around the bus nervously, then leaned over to whisper into her friend's ear.

"Ours is the fourth stop, right?" Claire asked uncertainly.

"Yeah. You should know that, you've taken the bus before." Raven teased, trying to diffuse the tension building in her own stomach.

"Not from this stop. I've never been to the Atlanta Federal Building before."

"It's not really a place I want to ever go back to."

"Seconded." Claire agreed with a weary smile.

"You might not have to, since your job is in Washington." Raven commented quietly.

"Yeah, but you'll have to, to turn in reports of the fields you've cleared. I wonder what my parents are going to say." Claire wondered aloud.

"I'm sure they'll miss you, but you can visit them whenever you can spare the time." Raven gave her a reassuring pat on the shoulder.

Claire smiled thankfully at her, and they fell silent again. Raven stared out of the bus window, watching the tall buildings and busy people of the large city blur by. She sighed and leaned her forehead against the cool glass window, not reacting as her breath steamed up the window. She couldn't believe that out of all of the jobs that she could have gotten, she had to get the one she had wanted the least. Disappointment, anger, and bitterness sat heavily in her stomach.

"Dammit." she growled to herself.

Claire cast her a quick, disapproving glance; she wasn't fond of cursing, something which Raven knew very well but usually ignored. Her expression softened in understanding at the upset look spread across Raven's face. She knew that she should feel sorry for her friend, but her own happiness at getting the job she had wanted overshadowed Raven's predicament. Claire could not force herself to be gloomy just for her friend's sake.

"Raven, it'll be okay. I know it's not the job you wanted, but maybe it won't be so bad." she tried in vain to cheer her up.

Raven tensed and did not respond, staring hard out of the window. Claire sighed and shook her head, turning away to leave Raven alone. Within an hour the bus pulled up in front of their stop. A few people in front of them got up and walked toward the front of the bus, with Claire close behind. Raven watched her for a moment, then stood and followed with a dissatisfied grunt. They stepped off of the bus and tried to use their arms to shield themselves from the rain, running to get under the roof of the bus stop.

"I can't believe it's raining today. I thought the weatherman said it was only going to be cloudy." Claire complained, nodding toward the rain as the bus sped away.

"Never trust the weatherman." Raven replied in a short, clipped tone, pulling her umbrella out of her bag.

"Yeah, I know, but it looked nice enough this morning." Claire said with a small smile, opening her own umbrella.

"That was hours ago. Alright, I'll see you later. I need to go home and tell my parents the results."

Raven gave a halfhearted wave before jogging across the street, headed toward her house on the outskirts of Tumbledown. It wasn't very far to her house, yet it seemed like she would never get there. Part of her didn't want to get home. She had no idea how her parents would react to finding out that their daughter, the daughter of an artist and a baker, was going to be a Battlefield Clearer. They would probably be just as disappointed as she was.

Raven paused when the house came into view, the gray stone walls glistening a little in the rain. She shook her head and ran, bursting through the front door with a gasp of relief. Her mother was standing in the kitchen, bent over the stove and wearing oven mitts. Two men and a young woman sat at the bar-style table a few feet away from her, watching her cook. Raven's mother ran a bakery business from home, so it wasn't uncommon for Raven to come home to find customers in the house. They smiled at her and said hello, then returned their attention to their conversation. Raven set her bag and umbrella down and walked into the kitchen.

"Hey, sweetie! How did things go? What did you get?" her mother asked, opening the oven carefully.

"Ugh, it was awful. I waited for three hours in line to find out that Claire got the job she wanted most, and I got the one I wanted least." Raven muttered bitterly, taking an apple from a bowl on the table and biting into it.

"Oh? I'm sorry about that. What is it?" her mother asked in a disappointed but curious tone, pulling a pan of brownies out of the oven and setting it aside to cool.

"I'm a Battlefield Clearer. Ugh, it sucks! I don't want to spend my life raking leaves and burning away whatever the battle leaves behind." Raven complained bitterly.

"I know, dear. I'm sorry. Maybe you can make the best of it." her mother gave her a hug, which Raven returned softly.

"That's what Claire said. I'm going to go tell dad."

Raven pushed away from her mother and left the kitchen, walking slowly toward the art studio. She knew her father would certainly not be happy to hear this news. He hated bad news of any sort, and hearing that his daughter would be working for the government he disliked would probably hurt him; a lot. Raven shuddered at the thought.

"Dad?" she asked cautiously, slowly pushing the door to the art studio open.

Inside, her father was standing in front of a finished painting, looking it over closely. He turned his head to look back at her, motioning for her to have a look at his latest piece of artwork. Raven approached and looked at the painting, smiling almost sarcastically at it. It was the World Parliament building in all its glory, its white marble walls shining in the light of a bright sun. The massive circular building rose from the center of a massive city in Europe, where the country of France had been. It was a panopticon, a circular building with several small cells inside where people could be observed. A tower rose from the center, where the watchers would stand. Private meetings were held in the top part of the panopticon, with representatives from the different federal governments and World Parliament leaders each inside their own cell. The Parliament Leader stood in the tower, where he could see and not be seen. But he was heard, and he was obeyed.

"Wow, dad...this is really good. I feel like I'm actually standing on a hill overlooking the city." Raven whispered in awe.

"Thanks. An assistant to President Boulder himself asked me to paint this. I'm supposed to ship it to him, and he'll hang it up on one of the watch tower walls." Raven's father said proudly, barely masking a note of bitterness.

"Wow, President Boulder's assistant. It's an honor to paint something for the man that controls the way the whole world works." Raven commented slowly, watching her father's face.

Raven's father growled to himself and shook his head.

"I guess it is." he grumbled.

Raven sighed. Her father never directly stated that he disliked the government, but it was obvious from his actions. He loved to paint, but he didn't like what the World Parliament told him he had to paint. It was all happy scenes and images of peaceful places in nature; and it was all a lie. These places existed, yes, but they were not nearly as pristine as they were portrayed to be. Most of the happy scenes and pristine places had been shattered in the Third World War, and had never really regrown after the establishment of the World Parliament. They had faded out of memory, and most people didn't bother to try to find these forgotten places because they thought it pointless; why chase something if you can see it in a painting?

"Dad...I got my career assignment today." Raven started slowly, rubbing her shoulder nervously.

"Yes, that's right! What did you get? Come on, spit it out!" her father turned toward her with an expectant grin.

"I'm...I'm a Battlefield Clearer...I'm sorry..."

The smile slowly faded off of her father's face as the words seemed to dawn on him. He looked like a parent who had just heard his innocent child get the guilty verdict in a murder case. He sighed softly and ran a hand through his hair. He tried to give her a smile, but it ended up looking like a pained grimace.

"Ah, Raven...I'm...very proud of you, dear. You did an excellent job. Battlefield Clearers are very important, and they do get paid well, don't they?" he attempted to sound cheerful, failing miserably.

"Father...don't lie like that. They aren't important at all. The job's pointless! I hate it!" Raven finally couldn't contain her grief anymore and hugged him, causing him to drop his paint on the already paint-stained carpet.

Raven's father stood still for a brief moment, then hugged her back. He smiled softly and patted her head, trying to comfort her.

"Ssh, Raven. It's fine. I know it isn't the job you wanted, and it's true that I can't legitimately say that it's the one I hoped you would get. However, I know that you will be fine. You will make it a job to be proud of. Now, come on. Let's go get some of those brownies your mother was making." he grinned down at her, beaming wider when she nodded and smiled back at him.

Raven followed her father out of the studio and back into the kitchen, glad that her parent's overreaction was only in her imagination. Her mother had her back to them, talking to the two men and the woman who had been seated at the table. They looked as if they were just about to leave, each holding a large chunk of brownie in their hands. Raven's father smirked and reached for the plate of brownies set on the counter, recoiling with a grunt when his wife smacked his hand with a spoon.

"Leo, those are for the customers." she chided him briskly.

"Oh, I know, dear...but...come on, I've been working all day in the studio. Please, Millie, dearest?" Leo pleaded childishly.

Millie sighed and rolled her eyes, then relented. Leo grinned and scooped one of the baked goods up in his hands, eating it greedily. He took another one and gave it to Raven, smirking as his wife watched them enjoy her work. Raven sighed and sat down in one of the chairs left open by the customer's departure.

"These are really good, mom." she said quietly, staring out the window at the rain.

"Thank you. It's your grandmother's special recipe. She used to make these for me when I was a little girl." Millie replied, leaning over the counter.

"Yeah, but Raven's not a little girl anymore. She'll be a Clearer soon." Leo commented.

Raven groaned and let her head drop, her forehead pressed against the cold marble counter.

"Don't remind me." she sighed unhappily.

"Raven, dear, it'll be fine. It really will, you'll see." Millie cooed at her, shooting Leo an annoyed look for bringing it up in the first place.

"All I can do is hope you're right." Raven grumbled, taking another bite from her brownie.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three**

A cool breeze blew past, sending a slight shiver up Raven's spine. She groaned and pulled her black button-up jacket closer to her skin, trying desperately to fight off the cold. She stood outside of the now-familiar Clearer Base in Atlanta, waiting impatiently for her partner to join her. She had been working there for almost two years, and hated the work just as much as she had thought she would when she first got the job. The job was rotten year round, but it was at its worst during the cold months of Winter; especially since her partner had made a habit of being late.

"I swear if he does not get his ass out here I'm going back to the apartment." she mumbled, tightening the purple scarf wrapped snugly around her throat.

A few minutes passed in contemplative silence, Raven staring up at the massive Clearer Base building. It was several stories high, with large archways and high windows. It sat comfortably close to some of the other buildings in downtown Atlanta, and was painted such a dull gray that no one really took much of a notice of it. It was just as inconspicuous as the under appreciated workers within. In news reports, the battles were always reported in sickeningly graphic detail, and people ate it up. Raven was sure that her mother watched every night, hoping to catch a glance of her. However, she never did, and probably never would. No one wanted to hear about the before and after of the battle, the disgusting work that the Battlefield Clearers had to do. They only cared about the middle, so the media only pointed out the middle. Battlefield Clearers went by almost unnoticed, mere shadows feeding off of the blood and gore left after the skirmish.

Raven sighed when the sliding glass entrance to the building finally slid open and her partner finally joined her on the sidewalk. He was a tall, muscular man, with sun-tanned skin and a rough yet uniform appearance. His light brown hair was nearly buzz-cut, and his chocolate brown eyes reminded Raven of the chocolates that she often bought from her mother's bakery. He grinned down at her, dwarfing her with his height, and rolled his wide shoulders with a grunt. A large metal object rested against his shoulder, its handle clutched firmly in one of his massive hands.

"Sorry for the wait, Rave. Had to grab a new flamethrower, since you broke the last one." the man smirked deviously at her.

"I told you I was sorry, okay? I didn't mean to drop it. They should make them more durable anyway." Raven replied with a scowl, making the man chuckle.

"Yeah, that's true. Come on then, to the truck. We need to get to the airport. We'll be late."

"We wouldn't have to be late if _someone _didn't take an hour to get a flamethrower, eh, Granger?" Raven nudged his side with a grin.

"Not my fault it takes forever to get a new one approved. When are you going to start calling me by my first name? My name's Garret, you don't have to call me Granger anymore." Granger said, starting down the sidewalk.

"When you call me Raven instead of Rave, I'll use your first name instead of your last." Raven replied, jogging to catch up to him.

"I guess I'll always be Granger, then."

Raven chuckled at him and smiled. She had to admit, she liked him. It wasn't a romantic feeling, more of a sisterly affection. Granger kept her relatively happy, and liked to tell jokes to alleviate her often bitter mood. He knew she didn't like the job, and he wasn't exactly a fan either, but he wanted to at least attempt to make the first half of the job enjoyable. He often made games and challenges out of it, seeing who could clear the largest area in a certain amount of time or add the most leaves to the burn pile. There was nothing he could do to make the after-battle clean up fun, so he didn't even try. They did that part in reserved, mournful quiet, only speaking when it was necessary.

The two joked with each other in a way that the other Clearers in the base often confused for flirting as they walked toward the parking lot in the rear of the building. When they entered the lot they were met by several vehicles parked in the available spaces, most of them being trucks of some sort. Granger smirked and led Raven to his truck, a beat-up blue monster that still drove on the road. Some people preferred hover cars, but Granger liked his feet and wheels planted firmly on the ground; he was terrified of heights, though he would never admit it.

"Alright, get in. We need to get to the airport, and fast." Granger said calmly, putting the flamethrower in the back of the truck.

"Just don't get us pulled over again." Raven shot back at him as she climbed into her usual place in the passenger's seat.

"Hey, that only happened once." Granger cast her a playful glare as he jumped into the driver's seat and started the truck.

The old beast roared to life, its engine giving a sputtering purr as it rumbled. Raven sighed and looked out the window as they pulled out of the parking lot and started toward the airport. They had tossed their bags and equipment into the back, tying it down with orange rope so it wouldn't go flying out of the back when Granger sped over a bump. Granger drove as fast as he could without going over the speed limit, darting into traffic in a way that still made Raven's heart race, even after working with him for two years. They arrived at the airport about twenty minutes later, screeching into the parking lot and almost hitting another person's car as they looked for a parking space.

"Be careful! You almost took out that car!" Raven hissed, breathing heavily.

"Sorry, just trying to get here as soon as possible. We have to unload all of this stuff." Granger replied with an apologetic smile.

"I know, I know. Come on." Raven shoved the car door open and hopped out.

Granger followed her and let the gate of the back of the truck down. Raven reached up and took their bags, slinging them over her shoulders. She moved aside and waited for Granger as he unloaded their two flamethrowers, making sure each one was completely empty of fuel. Once he was satisfied with the condition of the tools he nodded at Raven, and they started toward the airport. They walked in through the front door and were immediately met by a group of assistants, all of them looking at the flamethrowers with concern. Raven smiled and pulled her Battlefield Clearer ID card out of her pocket and handing it to one of the assistants.

"We're here to board the sixth flight to Europe, for the Spanish-French battle in a few days." she said in a monotone, completely accustomed to the anxious stares of airline assistants.

"Hmm...alright. Follow us, we need to put your things in the cargo hold." the assistant with Raven's card said slowly, handing her card back to her.

The two Clearers nodded and followed the assistants through the crowded airport. People bustled about, lugging heavy bags behind them and trying to control rowdy children. They gave the Battlefield Clearers and their posse a wide berth, not wanting to come in contact with those given the responsibility of cleaning up places where death had occurred. Children pointed and whispered to their parents and siblings as Granger passed by with the flamethrowers over his shoulders, making a wide grin spread over his face.

"Stop smirking. They're pointing at the flamethrowers, not you." Raven whispered to him with a sly smile.

Granger wrinkled his nose at her, but said nothing; he would surely get her back for her comment later. They followed the assistants through a set of double doors into a long, empty hallway. They walked the hallway in silence, going through a set of doors on the other end and out into the sun. Several yards ahead of them sat a large airplane, a stairwell leading up into the cargo hold. Raven and Granger handed their weapons to the assistants, and they began loading them into the large white plane. The assistant who had taken Raven's card earlier stayed wit them, watching the others work.

"I'm going to need your tickets, if you please." he said amiably, holding his hand out toward them.

Granger began digging around in his pockets, pushing the contents around with a look of concentration spread across his face. His eyes widened in panic as he continued searching, apparently not finding anything. He cast Raven a startled look as she began to laugh at him.

"What are you laughing at? You're gonna have to do this job alone if I don't find that damned ticket. Where the hell is it?" he growled, digging deeper in his pockets.

Raven's grin widened even more at the sight of her panicked partner, and she pulled two tickets out of her pocket calmly.

"You asked me to hold on to your ticket so you wouldn't lose it." she explained, handing the tickets to the assistant.

The assistant smiled and tore the tickets in half, handing one end of each ticket to Raven.

"It looks like you might want to hold on to these. You'll need them to get on the return flight." he said with an amused smile before sweeping back into the building.

"Alright, come on. Let's go get on the plane." Granger said quickly, brushing past her; he was obviously embarrassed by his mistake.

Raven watched him for a moment before following him, climbing up another set of stairs into the interior of the plane. Granger had already found their row and was waiting for her to take the window seat so he could take his usual place by the aisle. Raven enjoyed looking out the window while they flew; Granger preferred to lean his head back and fall asleep. Raven took her place and pulled her PDA out of her pocket, pulling a large set of black headphones over her head. She started letting her music play in random order as Granger sat down next to her, immediately trying to nod off to sleep.

The plane remained otherwise empty until thirty minutes before the flight was scheduled to take off. Passengers began quickly boarding the plane, shooting quick glances at the Clearers before sitting down in their own places. Granger had fallen asleep by the time everyone was on the plane, and was snoring softly in his seat. Raven sighed and turned her music up, trying to drown out the sounds of the other people around her. She watched the clouds roll above them as the planes engines whirred to life. She could faintly hear the voice over the speakers instructing the passengers on proper flight conduct, but she ignored them; she had taken dozens of similar flights before.

Soon enough the plane shook and began to travel down the runway. The motion startled Granger awake, and one glance out of the window was enough to drain the color from his face. He quickly looked away as the plane lifted off of the ground and rose up into the sky. Raven chuckled softly to herself and let her attention return to the sky outside. An hour passed before watching the clouds and ground pass by started to bore her. She sighed and leaned back, falling asleep herself within a few minutes, the music still blaring in her ears.

The feeling of someone shaking her roughly startled Raven from her sleep. She groaned and rubbed her eyes, sitting up and turning to look at who had woken her. Granger grinned back at her, nodding toward the window. She looked outside to see that they had landed; she had slept through the entire flight.

"We're here, come on. They want us to go unload our stuff first." Granger whispered, pulling her headphones away so she could hear him.

"Hmm, fine." Raven mumbled grumpily, standing and stretching.

She and Granger walked carefully down the aisle and down the stairs, Granger's legs wobbling a bit when his feet finally touched the ground again. An assistant took them into the Spanish-European Airport, where they stood in exhausted silence and waited for their things to be brought to them. Several minutes passed before their things were finally brought to them, and they thanked the assistants and started toward the exit.

"Do you have the keys to our rental van?" Raven asked, stuffing her headphones into her jacket pocket.

"Yeah, those I remembered." Granger replied, jingling the keys in her face.

"Good. Let's hurry up and get to the hotel so we can get some sleep. I'm exhausted."

"How can you be tired? You slept the whole flight."

"Jet lag, I guess. Did you not sleep the whole time?"

"I was awake for an hour before we landed."

Raven smiled and patted him on the shoulder. Granger snorted and shook her hand away, walking briskly through the exit doors as they slid open. They walked out into the parking lot and looked around for the familiar blue van that was always rented to Battlefield Clearers. It was full of all of the equipment they would need for their jobs, except for the flamethrowers. The flamethrowers were assigned to them specifically, so they had to bring their own.

Granger smiled and nudged Raven's side as he spotted the van, parked in the far corner of the parking lot. They set off at a light jog toward the van, both eager to check into their hotel and get some sleep. When they got to the professional looking van Granger immediately unlocked it and opened the side doors. Raven shoved their bags into the back seats as Granger sauntered to the back of the van and opened the back doors. All of their rented equipment hung on the walls of the interior of the van in neat rows, looking as if it had all been cleaned recently.

"Good, these are in good condition. Remember that crap set we got in China?" Raven asked, looking back at the inside of the van from one of the back seats.

"Yeah, how could I forget? Worst set of tools I've ever seen, and I've been doing this for almost five years now." Granger replied with a chuckle, hanging the flamethrowers up in their places.

"I know. I'm glad we got good ones this time."

"You usually get pretty good equipment from European Clearers Bases. They're known for their hospitality."

"If the Europeans are known for hospitality, why do they fight with each other so much? I think we've been here at least fourteen times."

"If little fights prevent all-out war, then I'll accept the little fights for what they are."

Raven sighed and nodded, climbing up into the driver's seat. Granger walked around and opened the driver's side door, raising an eyebrow at her. She smiled innocently, holding her hand out for the keys.

"What do you think you're doing?" Granger asked with a suspicious look.

"I'm going to drive us to the hotel." Raven said with a cheesy smile.

"No, _I'm_ driving. I always drive. Move over."

Raven grumbled lowly to herself and moved over into the passenger's seat, letting Granger hop into the place where she had been. Granger started the van up and pulled out of the parking lot, driving to the hotel within a few minutes. Raven checked them in to the hotel they usually stayed at while Granger checked on the equipment and locked up the van. Granger joined her after a few minutes, looking tired and a little grumpy.

"Did you get everything?" he asked.

"Yeah, I got it. Come on, we're on the second floor." Raven replied with a small smile, shoving Granger's bag into his arms.

Granger grunted and followed her to an elevator, which carried them slowly up to the second floor. They meandered down a long hallway, finally finding their room at the very end of the corridor. Raven shoved the card key into the slot in the door, then pulled it out violently. With a sharp click, the door unlocked and swung open, revealing the room inside. It was a decently sized hotel room, with two twin-sized beds, a mini-fridge, coffee machine, and a large flat-screen TV inside. A door in the wall led to a small bathroom, and the window on the opposite wall overlooked the dark parking lot.

"Nice place. Say what you want about the government, Rave, but you've gotta admit they get us nice rooms when we're on assignment." Granger said happily, dropping his bag onto one of the beds.

"Meh." Raven gave a noncommittal shrug and dropped her bag next to the other bed, letting herself fall onto it sleepily.

"I'm gonna go take a shower. Need to use the restroom first?" Granger asked.

"Nah, I can wait. Go ahead." Raven mumbled, closing her eyes.

Granger smiled softly to himself and walked into the restroom, carrying clean clothes with him and shutting the door quietly behind him. Raven sighed and relaxed, trying not to think about the reason that she was at the hotel. She just wanted to relax and sleep for now. After a few minutes she got her wish, sinking into a deep, dreamless sleep.

"Alright, Rave, I'm done." Granger opened the door, pausing when he saw that she had fallen asleep.

A small smile crossed his face at the sight of his partner, curled up around a pillow and snoring ever so softly. He chuckled to himself and eased onto the other bed, looking out the window. It was almost pitch black outside, the head and tail lights of cars just pinpricks in the darkness. He sighed and turned his back on the window, allowing sleep to drag him into its cold embrace as well.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four**

Raven smiled to herself, drumming her fingers on her legs and tapping one of her feet to the beat of the music blaring loudly in her ears. Granger drove with his eyes on the road, listening carefully to their GPS as it told them how to get to the battlefield they had been hired to clear. He glanced over at his partner, smirking at how much fun she seemed to be having, lost in her own little world of loud music.

"Whatcha listening to?" he asked loudly, making sure she could hear him.

"Guess." Raven shot back, grinning widely.

"Okay. Sing a little bit of it."

Raven cleared her throat and sang in a light, jazz-styled waltz tune.

"Get that damn smile off your face, or we'll lop it off clean with our new guillotine. Sharpen up the blade, boys! What are you waiting for? Here's where we all get ahead!" she sang, watching Granger's face as he listened.

"God, that's an old song. It's Voltaire's Headless Waltz. Don't you think you should listen to something more recent? It's 2075, not 1990." Granger teased, lifting an eyebrow at her.

Raven shot him a quizzical look and pointed to her headphones, mouthing the words " I can't hear you" at him with a devious grin. He sighed and rolled his eyes, returning his focus to the road. Within another hour they had arrived at the field, after driving down some of the most poorly-kept roads they had ever seen. Raven hopped out of the van, groaning and stretching.

"Damn, I swear that car ride gave me rigor mortis worse than a corpse." she growled, popping her neck loudly.

"Don't you mean reggae mortis?" Granger replied, chuckling at his own Voltaire reference.

"Ha, you're so funny." Raven rolled her eyes and walked stiffly to the back of the van, pulling the doors open.

"What do we need to do first?" she asked, looking out over the field.

It was a wide, flat expanse of rolling grass. Trees stood tall, their branches reaching up into the sky, and piles of their leaves all over the ground. There were a few patches on the ground where no grass grew, and only light brown dirt showed itself through the blanket of leaves. Granger and Raven both groaned at the sight.

"This field's not been cleaned in months. It looks like we need to rake up and burn the leaves first, then get rid of the grass. Damn, you'd think they'd have someone at least come out here to mow the grass every once in a while." Granger grumbled bitterly.

"You can rake if you want. I'm using the leaf blower." Raven smirked and grabbed the electric leaf blower before Granger could react.

He growled and shook his head as she ran off into the field with the device, leaving him with a simple steel rake. He grunted and got to work, raking up piles of leaves. He could hear the roar of the leaf blower as Raven guided more leaves toward Granger's piles. He looked up and watched her for a moment. In the past two years she had gotten quite good at most parts of the job, even though she was a bit clumsy. However, no matter how much she tried to hide it, he could see the anger and bitterness dancing below her mask of happiness. The thought always made him nervous. He never knew what would happen to the world if she somehow managed to meet with other people just as angry as herself. It certainly wasn't a pleasant thought.

It took them two hours to gather all of the leaves into a massive pile in the middle of the field, and they were both tired by this point. Granger sighed and took their tools back to the van, returning a minute later with the two flamethrowers. He handed the older one to Raven, keeping the new one for himself.

"Ready?" he asked, walking to the opposite end of the pile.

"Yeah, yeah. Shut up and let's just burn it already." Raven answered, staring hard at the pile and getting the dangerous tool in her hands ready for the job.

Granger sighed at his apparently pyro-maniacal partner and started his flamethrower up. It growled loudly, and a long stream of bright orange flames shot from the nozzle. Raven did the same, aiming the stream of flames at the leaves. The pile burst into dancing orange flames, smoke curling up into the sky in a thick black fog. A grin spread across Raven's face as she watched the crunchy dry leaves withering into lumps of black ash. Granger watched her solemnly, flinching at the reflection of the flames in her eyes. This was the only part of the job Raven actually enjoyed-burning leaves and piles of grass. After that was done, everything else was an inconvenience and a disgusting task to her.

"Alright, that's enough!" he yelled, shutting his flamethrower off.

Raven nodded and did the same, watching the flames putter out into smoldering ashes. She sighed and leaned the machine against her shoulder, admiring their work.

"Alright. Let's get the grass mowed, then we can explore the city until we're called about the end of the battle." she said, walking past Granger toward the van.

Granger followed, narrowing his eyes at her in thought. He liked Raven, but there was something about her that made him feel uneasy sometimes. Perhaps it was her taste for old, dark music, or her love for burning things, but he had a feeling that it was something else. He could feel the waves of inner unhappiness and anger that she gave off whenever they were on assignment, and it disturbed him. He hadn't wanted to be a Battlefield Clearer either, but he was mostly ambivalent about it. He didn't like cleaning up after the fights, but it was an important job and someone had to do it. Raven seemed to think it was a curse, the life of the cast aside; and that angered her.

They returned the flamethrowers to their places and pulled a couple of push mowers down from the walls. Granger walked away briskly, leaving Raven to start on the end closest to the van. She watched him walk away, confused by his suddenly dark mood, then shrugged and pulled her headphones back on. She turned her music all the way up, picked a song, and pulled the string on the mower. It roared to life, and she began mowing the tall strands of grass that whipped in the suction of the machine. She glanced up and looked around occasionally, hoping to see Granger standing nearby with a challenge to make the task more fun. Instead, she caught glimpses of him on the other end of the field, looking like something was bothering him. She sighed and returned to her work, humming softly as she made wide circles around trees.

Another hour passed, and the field was as clean as it was going to get. Raven and Granger leaned against the side of the van, staring out at their work and drinking from bottles of water they had brought. Raven looked over at her partner and, seeing the dark look spread across his countenance, nudged him. He jumped a little, startled, and looked down at her curiously.

"What's wrong, Granger? You're so gloomy..." Raven asked quietly, concerned.

"It's just...you're a really strange person, you know that, Rave?" he replied slowly, trying to find the right way to express his concerns.

She blinked in confusion at his statement, then laughed loudly and shoved him.

"That's what's bothering you? The fact that I'm a little weird? Come on, grow up. We've been working together for two years and this is bothering you _now_?" she teased.

"No, that's not it. I don't really care about your ancient music and pyro-maniacal tendencies. That's just a little odd. It's something else that's nagging me." Granger replied, shaking his head.

"Well then, what is it?"

He stood in silence for a minute, then sighed and looked at her.

"Never mind, it's stupid. Come on, let's go get something to eat. We can relax until it's time to come back and clean up the mess." he shook off his gloominess and grinned.

"Yeah, there's the Granger I'm used to! Come on, I'm craving some Chinese food!" Raven playfully punched his arm and jogged to the passenger side of the van.

Granger smiled and jumped into the driver's seat, starting the van and pulling away from the field. They roared up the road, and soon came upon the poorly-managed roads they had rumbled over on the way there. Granger smirked and cast a quick glance at Raven.

"Ready to get that rigor mortis or whatever it is again?" he asked with a grin.

"Reggae mortis." Raven replied with a smirk, pointing to the headphones she was sliding over ear ears.

Granger grinned and nodded at her.

"Reggae mortis."


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter Five**

"Hurry up, Granger! The sooner we get out of this place, the better."

Granger sighed and jogged to catch up to his irritated partner, who was power walking toward the front door of the airport.

"Sorry. These flamethrowers are heavy, it's hard to run carrying both of them." he complained, shifting their weight a bit.

"Well, these bags are pretty heavy, too. Come on, I'm ready to get back home."

Granger nodded, bustling into the airport behind his particularly grumpy partner. Of course, she had a good reason to be upset. There had been some sort of problem with their plane reservations, and their seats had been changed. It wasn't a big deal, as they would still be on the same plane, but Raven was used to having Granger snoring by her side.

"Rave, you don't have to be so grumpy about this. Maybe you'll make a new friend with whoever gets the pleasure of sitting beside you." he tried to cheer her up. It didn't work.

"I doubt it. As you pointed out a few days ago, I'm a strange person, remember?" Raven shot back, flashing her Clearer ID at the plane assistants.

Granger sighed and allowed the assistants to lead him and Raven down the corridor to the plane. She was always in a slightly sour mood after cleaning up the aftermath of a battle, but it was usually expressed in angry looks and bad humor, not general grumpiness. He watched her diminutive form as she walked in front of him, her hands stuffed into the pockets of her black jacket and headphones around her neck. He could hear the faint sounds of her music, and chuckled to himself; it was Voltaire again.

"Do you ever listen to anything else?" he asked.

"Of course. I've just felt like going on a Voltaire binge lately." she replied snappishly.

"Uh-huh. Of course you have." he muttered, squinting at the sunlight that assaulted his eyes as one of the assistants pushed the door ahead of them open.

Raven chuckled a little at his comment, handing their bags to an awaiting person. Another assistant took the flamethrowers, and they made their way onto the plane. Raven sighed and pulled a slip of paper from her pocket. When they had gotten the phone call about the change in their seating, she had made sure to write everything down.

"I'm going to have to talk to someone about this mess. Granger, you're in the third row, aisle seat. It looks like I'm in row five, window seat. Well, at least we get the seats we like." she mumbled, stuffing the scrap of paper back into her pocket.

"See, it isn't all bad. Don't worry about it. Someone in the Airline's Flight Department screwed up, everyone makes mistakes." Granger commented contently, sitting down in his seat.

"Yeah, I know. It's just a pain in the ass, you know?" Raven replied, sinking into her own seat and leaning to the side so that she could see him.

"You sure do curse more than the average young lady."

"Oh, please. Enlighten me on proper behavior, Father Granger."

The man gave a bark of a laugh, shaking his head.

"Your sarcasm still brings a smile to my face, even after all of my time around it. I'm not exactly a saint, either. I'm just saying it isn't often that young women like you curse. It's not considered proper."

"I stopped giving a damn about proper the day I became a Battlefield Clearer. It's not a classy job, I don't see why I should be prim and proper when I'm disposing of bodies."

The conversation fell flat, and both Clearers shifted uncomfortably in their seats, remembering the job they had finished only two days before. The battle had lasted only a few hours, with the Spanish-European group claiming victory. The French had been forced to admit defeat, and the Spanish got what they had started the fight for in the first place- money, and lots of it. Neither of the Clearers knew the exact amount, but it was certainly more than either expected to ever see in their lifetimes. There had been a fair number of dead left behind, so they had spent the entirety of the next day cleaning them up. They took longer to burn than leaves, and Raven had made it her own personal apology to bury the ashes whenever they had to do such a heinous deed.

Raven sighed and leaned back, closing he eyes and slipping her headphones onto her head. She didn't notice people getting onto the plane until she felt something move beside her. She jolted up and looked over at the cause of the disturbance with startled eyes.

A Hispanic-looking man sat next to her, giving her a curious look with deep brown eyes. He had short, well-groomed black hair that looked like it had been slicked back with gel. He wore a pair of jeans and a green jacket, and a silver ear ring dangled from his left ear. A thin mustache sat above his thin lips, and he looked like he was in his early thirties. Raven's eyes narrowed curiously as she noticed the strange pin attached to the chest of his jacket. It was black, with the design of a lion's head in white on it. Curiosity at the object nagged at her, but Raven decided it was best not to ask; the less she had to speak to whoever this man was, the better.

As the plane rumbled to life and began to lift into the air, the man next to her pulled a book out of one of the large pockets on his jacket. The cover was somewhat tattered and rough around the edges; it looked like he had read it often. Raven sighed and smiled to herself, not expecting to hear a peep out of the man. She relaxed and closed her eyes, turning her music up and enjoying the beats. She soon slipped into a light doze.

A sharp tapping on her shoulder roused her from her nap suddenly, and she jerked away. She looked over to see the man had put down his book and was looking at her with a curious expression on his face. She slowly pulled her headphones off and sat up.

"Can I help you, sir?" she asked groggily, rolling her shoulders stiffly.

"Yes...I was just wondering what you were listening to. I can hear it faintly, and I think I heard a few songs that I knew." the man's voice was low, and he had a slight Spanish accent.

"Uhm, it's Voltaire." Raven answered, getting a little tired of the subject being brought up.

The man sat back a little, looking surprised.

"Hmm. Didn't expect to meet someone else who even knows who that was, none the less likes his music. Interesting. So, what are you doing here? Returning from a vacation?" he asked, settling into a more comfortable position.

"No, I was working. Just got done cleaning up after the latest Spanish-French battle."

"Ah, I see. You're a young Battlefield Clearer! Enjoy the job?"

"Ha! How can someone enjoy such a job? What about you? What are you doing here?" Raven shot back, not liking the man's interrogation.

"I'm returning home from a business trip. I'm sorry, I didn't catch your name?" the man replied with a sincere smile.

"My name is Raven Eromreven."

"Eromreven? Nevermore backwards. How amusing. You wouldn't happen to know of a poet named Edgar Allen Poe, would you?" the man asked with an amused smirk.

"Yes, I enjoy his poems and stories. Now it's my turn to ask your name. So, who are you?" Raven asked, her curiosity roused by the man's knowledge of past artists.

"Raul De Santana." the man replied with a nod.

"Okay. If I may ask...what is that pin on your jacket?" Raven asked, nodding at the lion's head pin.

Raul glanced down at it, then his whole countenance changed from friendly to suspicious and somewhat cold. He grit his teeth for a moment, thinking, then sighed and ran a hand through his hair.

"What do you think of the World Parliament, Raven?" he asked carefully, gauging her reaction.

It was Raven's turn to become suspicious. She didn't often openly talk about her feelings about the government, because that could get her into trouble. The people around her could attest that her actions and attitude made her opinions obvious, but no one really cared as long as she was obedient. She sighed and looked into Raul's eyes, looking for any hint of deceit or malice. Seeing none, she decided to trust him-just a little bit.

"I hate it. It's so corrupt, the way they force people to have certain jobs, force their ideals on the world, and punish whoever deviates from what they decide is normal. People are afraid of the World Parliament and its totalitarian power. People aren't supposed to be afraid of their government. The government is supposed to be afraid of its people." she whispered, making sure no one else heard her.

Raul seemed to consider what she said very carefully, then nodded and smiled.

"I agree completely. Now, this next question is _very_ important, and it's imperative that you answer with the truth. If you were offered a chance to change all of that, albeit a small part but an important one, would you take it? If you were given a chance to help change the world, to make it a better place, would you do it?" he asked in an intense whisper, making Raven very nervous.

She sat back and considered what he said, and hard. He asked as if he was offering such an opportunity, which would be amazing indeed. She had always disliked the way the world was run, and if any opportunity to help fix it would come up, she had always told herself she would lunge at it. However, now that she was actually presented with such a possibility, she was anxious and unsure. Such a venture would surely be dangerous, not to mention illegal. Yet, she felt that she had to explore the opportunity; anything to escape the life she led now.

"Yes. Yes, of course." she answered, her nervousness replaced by confidence.

"Would you even be willing to leave everyone you know, everyone you love and cherish, behind? To lead them all to think that you were dead, never to hear from you again?" Raul asked, watching the young woman carefully.

Raven glanced up at Granger's sleeping form, then thought about her friends and family. She bit her lip, sadness settling into the pit of her stomach. She knew that if she did decide to fight the absolute control of the government, she would be forced to drop contact with those close to her. She didn't want to pull them into the pile of trouble she would be stirring up, but it wasn't an easy decision to make. If she failed to make an impact, she would have caused everyone she cared about pain for nothing.

"I...yes, I would do it. For the greater good of the world." she stuttered.

Raul nodded slowly, laying a hand gently on her shoulder. He pulled a business card out of his jacket pocket and slipped it into her hand, glancing around to make sure no one noticed him. Satisfied that they were being ignored, he leaned a little closer to her, keeping his voice very low.

"Meet me at the La Verte Gallant Coffee Shop in nine days, at four P. M exactly. If anyone asks, tell them you have a date or a business meeting or something. We'll talk more there, I can't say anything else about it here. Will I see you there?" he asked urgently.

"It's a date." Raven answered with a nod.

Raul sighed and allowed a small smile to cross his lips.

"Yes, it's a date. I hope to see you then. For now, it's best we don't speak any longer. We don't want to rouse suspicion." he said, relaxing again.

Raven nodded in agreement and pulled her headphones back on, turning her music back up. She sat back and thought about the strange man seated next to her, trying to decide if the conversation had really happened. It seemed surreal; she had been longing for a way to bring down the World Parliament, and an opportunity had been shoved right under her nose. It was almost too good to be true, even though if she took whatever this was, she would have to vanish from society. She sighed and looked up at Granger, who was asleep in his seat. She then pushed the thoughts from her mind and turned her back on Raul, looking out the window at the tauntingly blue sky.

Several hours later, the plane landed smoothly. Raul gave her a quick nod before almost leaping from his seat and pushing his way through the other passengers, eager to get off of the plane. Raven watched him go, not moving, and not noticing the person who walked up to her. The person stood above her for a moment in silence, then prodded her on the shoulder. She turned sharply to see Granger looking down at her with a playful grin across his face.

"I saw how desperate to get off the plane the guy next to you was. Did you really scare him that bad?" he asked, tilting his head a little to one side.

Raven chuckled and grinned back at him, punching him lightly on the arm as she struggled to her feet.

"You bet. I told him all about my life, from beginning to now, in extreme detail. You should have seen the shade of white he turned when I talked about cleaning up battles. I thought he was going to be sick!" she bragged halfheartedly, trying to hide the serious mood she had been put in.

Granger chuckled and shook his head, leading her off of the plane. They retrieved their bags and flamethrowers from the luggage claim and walked out of the airport. Raven smiled softly as Granger's beat-up blue truck came into view, and eagerly pulled open the passenger's side door when they got to it. She hummed a little to herself as she crammed their bags into the space behind the seats, looking up when the truck shuddered from the weight of Granger loading the flamethrowers into its bed. A movement caught her attention from the corner of her eye, and she turned to look out across the parking lot.

Raul was standing next to a shiny, new-looking silver hover car. He held a small phone to his face and looked as if he was having a very hurried conversation with someone. Raven felt her stomach clench nervously, somewhat scared of what she had gotten herself into. She new almost nothing about this person; why was she trusting him with something that could end up being so important?

"Hey, Rave, isn't that the guy who was next to you on the plane?" Granger asked, walking up to her side of the truck and leaning against it. He stared curiously out at the man, who grew more urgent in his phone call with the passing seconds.

"Ah, yeah, it is." Raven said quickly.

"Nice ride. Looks like he's in trouble for something, though. Must be his boss or wife or something."

Raven chuckled and nodded as Granger shrugged and walked around to the driver's side of the truck, hopping in and jamming the key into the ignition. She kept her eyes glued to the mysterious man in the parking lot as the truck sputtered to life and began to navigate out of the tiny parking space. The truck began weaving its way out of the maze-like lot, and they slowly pulled by Raul's hover car on their way out. Raul glanced up at them as they passed, and flashed Raven a small smile so quickly she wasn't entirely sure it had been there at all. Raven returned the smile just as quickly, looking away once they had passed him.

"You alright over there? You've not said anything or cranked up your music like you usually do." Granger asked, breaking Raven's train of thought.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Just tired. Can you drop me off at my apartment? I don't feel like walking home from the base." she replied, yawning.

"Yeah, of course. Just relax."

Raven nodded and rested her head against the cool glass of the window. Buildings, people, and other cars blurred by as she watched the outside world. An uneasy feeling in the pit of her stomach told her that she wouldn't be relaxing anytime soon.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter Six**

Raven growled and tugged at the tag hanging out of the arm hole of her dress, smiling in satisfaction as it snapped. She tossed the tag into the small trash can that sat next to her desk and walked in front of the mirror hanging over the back of her bedroom door. The blue dress fit her nicely enough, and went down to a few inches below the knees. She turned in a circle to look at herself, then sighed and sat down on the edge of her bed, scooping up a pair of dark blue high-heels and strapping them onto her feet. She grunted when a loud ringing noise interrupted the near silence of the room, followed by the deep barking of her dog.

The dog, a pure white husky with ice blue eyes she had named Snowmelt, came running into the room as Raven grabbed her phone off of her bedside table. She hushed him and petted his head before answering the phone.

"Hello?" she asked, slipping a bracelet onto her wrist.

"Hello, dear. Are you busy?" her mother's voice answered her cheerily.

"A little, but it's fine. I'm almost done getting ready to meet Ray at the coffee shop." Raven answered.

Nine days had passed since Raven had met Raul on the airplane, and she had made sure to tell her parents that she had a date with "Ray", whom she told them she had met at the Atlanta Government Building while turning in the report on the Spanish-French clean up. She was extremely nervous about what Raul had to say to her. If things turned out the way she suspected they would, this might be one of the last times she would ever hear her mother's voice. The thought brought tears to her eyes, which she quickly wiped away.

"Ooh, that's right! I forgot you have a date today. I hope it goes well, dear. You _have_ to call me and let me know how it went when you get home." her mother crooned happily.

Raven chuckled and nodded, even though she knew her mother couldn't see her.

"You know I will, mom. I have to go now, but I'll call you in a few hours, okay?"

"Okay, dear. Be careful and have fun. Your father and I love you."

Raven swallowed a lump that had risen in her throat and fought back tears at this.

"I love you guys, too. Bye." she muttered, hanging up and dropping the phone onto her bedside table.

Raven sighed and stood up, looking at her reflection in the mirror. Her eyes were a little red from the tears, but otherwise she looked normal. She gave a satisfied nod and brushed by Snowmelt, who had sat down at the foot of her bed, to grab her purse. She crammed her phone into the black bag before slinging it over her shoulder and walking out the door, locking it behind her. She walked down the stairs to the first floor and out to the parking lot, smiling as her little red car came into view. It was a fairly-new looking car that drove on the ground; she had adamantly refused to buy a hover car.

She dug through her purse until she found her keys, sighing in relief when she finally felt the cool metal in her hand. She opened the door and plopped into the car, starting it up and pulling out of the parking lot. It didn't take long to reach the La Verte Gallant Coffee Shop, as it wasn't very far from her apartment building. She parked on the side of the road in front of the shop, which was on a street on the outskirts of Atlanta. Climbing carefully from her car, she cast a nervous look at the small shop. It was only a few minutes before four, and she could see Raul's silver car parked near the side of the building.

She gulped anxiously and walked up the stone steps leading to the front door of the building, easing it open. There were only a few people inside, including Raul, who was wearing a simple pair of black pants and a nice white shirt. He seemed surprised to see her in a dress, and chuckled at her as she approached his table.

"Well, I wish I knew we would be dressing semi-formal. I would have worn something nicer." he said, nodding at her dress.

Raven blushed a bit and sat down across from him, setting her purse down next to her.

"Sorry. I just wanted to make the whole date thing look more convincing." she replied shyly.

"No, no, you look nice. Why don't we order some coffee, and we can get down to business?" he asked, waving at one of the employees.

The waiter walked briskly to their table and smiled warmly at them.

"Good afternoon. What can I get for you?" he asked happily.

"I would like a simple cup of black coffee." Raul said decisively, not even glancing at the paper menu in front of him.

"Uhm...can I get an iced mocha?" Raven asked, combing over the menu carefully; she had never visited this place before.

The waiter smiled and nodded, taking their menus and almost skipping away. Raven gave Raul an odd look and glanced at where the man had been.

"He sure seemed enthusiastic." she commented.

"Believe it or not, some people actually like their jobs." Raul answered with a wink.

Raven sighed and rolled her eyes, drumming her fingers against the table top.

"So, why did you want to meet me here?" she asked after they sat in awkward silence for a minute.

"I'll tell you more about it after we get our drinks. It's imperative that we are not overheard." Raul answered calmly.

Raven fidgeted a bit and looked away from him, not sure how to react. She knew that this was a serious endeavor, but he was scaring her with his cautiousness. The two people sat back against the backs of their chairs and waited for the waiter to bring them their drinks. Within a few minutes, their wish was granted. The man returned and set their drinks down on the table, walking away with a smile.

"Alright, now that that's been taken care of, we can start. Do you still want to help change the world, Raven?" Raul asked, taking a sip of his coffee.

"Yes...I've been thinking about it, and I still want to help, even though it'll hurt the people close to me." Raven answered carefully.

"Good. Well then, I should start at the beginning. As you know, the Third World War ended a long time ago, and the World Parliament was created to prevent such a terrible war from ever happening again. However, there are battles and skirmishes all of the time. Different areas still want to fight. The government has become riddled with tyranny and corruption, as well. It's all crumbling. This world is becoming infected with a plague of madness, and it's spreading like a disease." Raul spoke seriously, his voice a harsh whisper.

"And you think you know a way to stop it?" Raven asked in awe.

"Yes. We destroy the source. We take down the World Parliament and reconstruct it, shape it so that corruption cannot exist. We destroy the panopticon they've built for themselves and replace it with a normal meeting hall. We take out that dictator Boulder and give all of the countries equal power."

"How in the _hell_ do you plan to do that?"

Raul chuckled and took another swig of his coffee.

"Do you really think I'm the only person working on this? No, no, Raven. There is an entire network of people who feel like you and I do working for this common goal. We have bases, hell, whole underground _cities_ full of people like us. There's even one right here, right beneath your feet. That's where you'll be going if you agree to this." he said calmly.

"And...if I don't agree?" Raven asked curiously, nervous.

"Then I'm afraid I'll have to actually kill you." Raul shrugged as if it was nothing and popped his shoulders carefully.

Raven gulped down some of her mocha and watched him fearfully. She certainly didn't want to die. It looked like she had gotten involved in something she couldn't escape, and she wasn't sure she liked the feeling. In fact, she wasn't sure of much of anything anymore.

"Ah...well, what exactly does this network do?" she asked, trying to mask her fear.

"We work to slowly peel apart and weaken the binds of the World Parliament. Sometimes we destroy things in certain areas that they need. Sometimes we send false documents, causing them to make mistakes. Terrible mistakes." Raul gave her the simplest of explanations, sensing her fear.

"So, you're terrorists?"

Raul growled angrily, tensing.

"No! We fight for what is right, what is good. The World Parliament and their members are the terrorists. They're ruining this world. We want only to cultivate it and bring it back to life." he almost hissed, making Raven recoil from his anger.

Raul sighed and took a deep breath, looking around to make sure no one had noticed his outburst.

"Erm, anyway...Our goal is to end the corruption and the fighting. Unfortunately, the only way to do this is to crush the World Parliament." he whispered, satisfied that they were not being watched.

"Okay, okay. So, what is this organization called?" Raven asked curiously.

"We are collectively called The Pride. There are different ranks in the network, you see. Our leader is known only as Alpha. His pin is black with a golden lion's head. His wife is called Beta, and her pin is a golden lioness' head on a black background. Then there's their son Daniel Wolverhampton, called the Alpha Heir. His pin is gold with a black lion's head. The pins symbolize rank, you see." Raul explained seriously.

"Daniel Wolverhampton? That's quite the last name. It makes mine look like a cake walk. So, what is his job? I can kinda guess that Alpha and Beta run the show, so what does their son do?"

"Well, he runs some of the business having to do with the intelligence and correspondence departments all over the world. Right now, he's looking for someone to be the potential Beta Heir. In other words, he's supposed to be dating to find a wife."

Raven chuckled and nodded; it made just as much sense as the rest of this did.

"Okay. So, what does the design of your pin mean? It's black with a white lion on it. You never mentioned what your job is in The Pride." she asked, her curiosity making it impossible not to ask.

Raul glanced down at his pin, then chuckled.

"It means that I am one of the Elites. I am the head of the intelligence department in the base under Atlanta. Elites usually wear white cloaks as well, just as another sign of status." he responded with a sloppy grin.

"Ah, I see. So, what would I be doing? You certainly can't put me in charge of something so complex." Raven asked, finishing off her iced mocha.

"No, certainly not. You would be working in the intelligence department, probably as a secretary at first. I might be able to find other uses for you once you've earned my complete trust. If you join The Pride, you'll be wearing this. Along with a black cloak. Everyone except the Elites wear black ones." Raul said calmly, sliding a pin across the table to her.

The pin was silver, with a black lioness' head on it. Raven scooped it up and looked at it in amazement. She tentatively clipped it onto the front of the dress and looked down at it, thinking over everything Raul had said to her. He chuckled and took a careful sip of his coffee, watching the young woman mull over what he had said. He knew that he had put her in a tight position, with little time to think it over. He knew it was a lot of pressure, but something had struck him about the young woman when they met on the plane. He somehow sensed that she would become a key player in The Pride's endeavor to change the world.

"It looks good on you. Raven, I know I've put you in a very uncomfortable position. Hell, I probably shouldn't have even mentioned it at all to you! You could continue your life as a Battlefield Clearer! You might have married happily and had a family of your own! But, that could also happen in The Pride. Now is the time I must ask you; what will you do? Will you join The Pride in our quest to take down the World Parliament?" he asked urgently, his eyes suddenly very hard and steely.

Raven sighed and leaned back, her thoughts racing. Raul was right; he _had_ given her quite a lot to think about, and not enough time to do it. There was so much she had to consider, yet there was a factor that made it impossible to refuse; death. She had no doubt that Raul would kill her if she refused his offer. Plus, the idea of fighting the government and changing the world excited her more than anything else ever had before. She could feel adrenaline pumping through her blood as she ran her fingers absentmindedly over the pin on her chest.

"It doesn't look like you've given me much of a choice, so yes, I will help." she answered, swallowing her fear.

Raul grinned happily at her, seeming somewhat relieved.

"Excellent. Now, as I've already told you, you'll have to vanish from society. The easiest way to do that would be to fake a homicide. Meet me here again in three days. Bring only what you can fit into a handbag. Leave your PDA and your cell phone; we don't want anyone tracking you." he explained with an excited smile.

"Can I bring my dog?" Raven asked almost timidly.

"Your dog?"

"Yes. His name's Snowmelt. He's really special to me, I don't want to leave him behind. Please, can I bring him?"

Raul sat quietly for a minute, drumming his fingers on the table top and watching Raven. He finally relented and nodded.

"Fine, you can bring the dog. We can make it look like it was killed, too. What breed is he, and what color is his fur?" he asked.

"He's a husky, and he's got white fur. Pure white, like snow." Raven said with a small smile.

"Hmm, that's easily done. Okay, meet me here in three days at the same time, with a handbag and Snowmelt. I will take care of everything else. Does that sound doable to you?"

Raven smiled and nodded, standing up and tossing her empty coffee cup into a trash can. Raul followed her to the counter and paid for their drinks before leading her outside. He stuffed his hands into his pockets and meandered over to his car, looking over his shoulder at her.

"Well, I guess I'll see you later. I enjoyed the date." he said with a wink before sliding into his car.

Raven watched as the car rumbled to life, then lifted itself a few inches off of the ground. Raul gave her one final wave before speeding away down the road. Raven stood, rooted in place, debating what she should do. She pulled the pin off of her dress and looked at it carefully before slipping it into her purse and walking to her car. She plopped down into the driver's seat and started the car, driving hurriedly back to her apartment. She stumbled out of the car and ran up the stairs, unlocking her door and pushing it open. Snowmelt ran happily to her and barked a few times, overjoyed to see her home again. She smiled down at him and patted his head.

"Get ready, boy. We're moving." she whispered to him, walking into her bedroom.

She sighed and changed quickly out of her dress, relieved to finally kick off the annoying high-heels. Once she had pulled on a baggy shirt and a pair of sweatpants, she sat down on her bed and pulled her phone out of her purse. She quickly dialed her mother's phone number and leaned back, listening to the ringing and hoping her mother would answer.

"Hello?" her mother answered, and Raven sighed in relief.

"Ah, hey mom. I just wanted to let you know how my date with Ray went." she replied, laying down on the bed.

"Oh, yes! Tell me all of the juicy little details, dear! How was it?" her mother's voice sounded excited, which made sense; Raven didn't often go on "dates".

"It was nice, and very...informative."

"Good, good. So, what's Ray like?"

"He's very serious at times, but he can be pretty easygoing, too. We had a pretty good time."

"Good. Are you two going to go out again sometime?"

"Yeah, maybe in a few days. Well, I should probably go. I didn't want to keep you on the phone for too long."

"Okay, dear. I'll talk to you in a few days, okay?"

Raven paused at this, a shudder of sorrow running up her spine.

"Okay, mom. I love you and dad, okay?"

"We love you, too. Bye."

Raven sighed and dropped the phone onto her bedside table, rolling onto her stomach. The thought of having to fake her murder and hurt her parents tore her apart inside. Tears sprung into her eyes at the thought of them crying at her funeral, and she soon found herself crying into her pillow. A whimpering noise from next to her made her look up.

Snowmelt was standing next to the bed, his head resting on it and his tail wagging slightly. Raven smiled and moved over, patting the place next to her. The dog barked and jumped onto the bed, plopping down and licking Raven's face happily. Raven giggled at him and nuzzled her face into the dog's soft fur. Snowmelt went still and watched his owner, soon falling asleep. Raven smiled at him and sighed.

"Get as much sleep as you can, boy. I have a feeling that things are going to get pretty hectic soon."


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter Seven**

Snowmelt whined and yipped, tugging hard on his leash, trying to get his owner to hurry up. Raven struggled to restrain the strong animal as they walked down the street, a bag full of some clothes and other items over her shoulder. Children stopped her every once in a while to pet the dog and giggle at his playfulness, but she was otherwise undisturbed. A nervous lump had settled in her stomach as each step brought her closer and closer to the La Verte Gallant Coffee Shop. A bitter wind whipped her short hair around a bit and sent shivers up her spine, and she growled unhappily at the cold.

"Why did it have to be so cold today, of all days? Augh." she sighed and tugged on Snowmelt's leash, trying to slow him down.

The dog yipped and pulled harder, determined to keep going at his pace. Raven groaned at his stubbornness and sped up a little, trying to swallow her anxiety. Once they reached the coffee shop, she would officially be "dead". Raul probably had people in her apartment already splattering blood and white dog hair everywhere. She cringed at the thought and kept pressing forward, pausing when the coffee shop came into view. She couldn't see Raul's car, and wondered if he was late. A movement by the side of the building soon told her she was wrong.

"There you are. And this must be Snowmelt. He's a beautiful animal." Raul greeted her, walking toward them and reaching out to let the dog sniff at his hand.

"Thank you. I've had him for a year and a half. He was a birthday gift from my partner in the Battlefield Clearer's Organization." Raven said with a sad smile.

"You mean Garret Granger?"

Raven blinked at him in surprise, and he chuckled.

"I had to do some research on you and those close to you before I could ask you to join The Pride. It's just standard protocol." he answered before she could even ask.

"Okay, fair enough. So, where are we going?" Raven asked with a slightly disturbed look.

"To the Air Tram Station. It'll take us to the entrance to the underground base. Come on, let's go." Raul turned on his heel and started briskly up the sidewalk.

Raven jogged to catch up to him, and Snowmelt seemed to enjoy the pace he had set. Raul chuckled as the dog practically dragged Raven along behind him.

"Do you want me to walk him? It looks like he's excited about this trip." he asked, reaching out for the leash.

Raven smiled thankfully and handed the leash to him.

"Thanks. So, we're taking an Air Tram? Isn't that a government-run service? They'll find out about The Pride." she asked, concerned.

"We have people on the inside that run a special tram just for us. They just tell the public that it's being tested for safety." Raul said with a shrug.

Raven chuckled and followed him up the street. It took them thirty minutes to reach the massive Air Tram Station. It was several stories tall, and long, thick steel cables branched out from it like spiders legs, reaching out to different parts of the city. Large train-car like containers rushed quickly along these cables, carrying people to various stops all over Atlanta. They hung below the cables, suspended by an incredibly strong magnetic force. Riding the Air Tram always made Raven a little nervous, mostly because they swayed a little as they moved.

"Do they even allow dogs on the tram?" Raven asked as they walked into the clean-looking building.

"They'll let you bring him on ours. I've already arranged for that. I told you I'd take care of everything. Come on." Raul led her to an escalator that ran to the top floor.

They had a little bit of trouble convincing Snowmelt to get onto the escalator, but soon they were being slowly carted to the top floor, where the trams were located. Once they reached their destination, Raul led Raven past the trams to a small office where a woman sat at a desk, typing on a laptop with an impatient expression. Raul tapped on the door frame and the woman jolted up, glaring at him once she realized who it was.

"Jesus, Raul, you startled me." she complained, standing up and walking over to them.

She looked Raven over in silence for a moment, then snorted, brushing a strand of her red hair out of her face.

"So, this is your new secretary, eh? Are you sure about her? She looks kinda untrustworthy to me." the woman asked harshly.

Raven grit her teeth at the woman, who narrowed her olive green eyes in return. Raul glared harshly at the woman and took a step toward her, his height towering over her. She shrank back at the angry expression that was spread across his face.

"Hold your tongue and do your job. Is the tram ready?" he growled deeply.

"Ah, yes sir. Right this way, if you would." the woman's demeanor did an about-face, and she led them politely to a tram sitting separately from the others.

She opened the door on the empty tram and stood aside, letting them pass. The inside was clean and well taken care of, with soft-cushioned seats and rails for passengers to hold on to. Raven sighed and took Snowmelt's leash from Raul, sitting down at the other end of the box-shaped car. Raul nodded his thanks to the woman and joined her. The woman closed the door and walked back to her office.

After a minute the tram shuddered and began to slowly move forward, picking up speed as it moved farther from its docking station. By the time it roared out of the station and began its journey it was racing quickly along its line. Raven stared sadly out the window as they soared above the city, watching the buildings move by as they raced to the far end of the city. Raul noticed her depressed countenance and laid a hand comfortingly on her shoulder.

"I'm sorry about all of this, Raven." he said simply.

"It's okay. It's painful now, but it's all for a good cause. All for the betterment of the world, right?" Raven said slowly, looking back at him with a small, sad smile.

Raul gave her a reassuring nod and squeezed her shoulder before letting go and settling into his seat. They watched the busy city pass by below them as the air tram carried them farther and farther from the Air Tram Station. The tram shuddered and swayed as it followed its track, and Snowmelt wandered around the cart curiously and peered out the windows curiously. He didn't seem to understand what he was seeing, and ran about in excitement, barking at birds that passed by. Raven chuckled at him and tried to calm him down, but he refused to be still.

"Snowmelt, shh! It's okay. Calm down!" she laughed at his antics.

"Your laughing is just encouraging him." Raul observed, an amused smile across his lips.

"I can't help it. He's funny."

"That he is. Raven, put this on." Raul dug through a bag he had strapped to his side and pulled out a black, hooded cloak.

Raven took it carefully and looked it over, marveling at its simpleness and soft touch. She pulled it on over her jacket, then slipped the jacket out from under it and stuffed it into her bag. She pulled the Pride pin out of her pocket and pinned it to her chest, admiring how it looked against the black fabric. Raul chuckled at the pleased look on her face.

"It looks good on you. Now, my turn." he pulled a regal looking white cloak out of the bag and slipped it on over his clothes, attaching his pin as well.

"It looks very regal. Any chance I'll be wearing one of those one day?" Raven asked, admiring the way it contrasted with his black pants and tan skin tone.

"Only if you work hard enough and impress Alpha." Raul answered, toying with his hair and trying to brush his bangs out of his face.

"Do you know anything about Alpha? Or Beta and their son?"

"I don't know Alpha or Beta very much. I've met Daniel many times. He is the one who comes to check on how things are going in the departments and delivers special orders from his parents."

Raven nodded her understanding and sat back, digesting what he had said. They sat in contemplative silence for the rest of the ride, watching Snowmelt's antics. Soon, the air tram lurched and began to slow down. Raven looked out the window and saw that the cable ran into a building that looked abandoned and boarded up. The tram rattled a bit as it lurched into the building.

Raven was surprised to see that the interior of the building was completely empty. The cable slanted down into a massive hole in the ground, and Raven groaned as the car tilted to accommodate the sudden change. Raul noticed her amazement and chuckled.

"We disguised the entrance to the underground city as a dilapidated old building so no one would find it. Government officials can't come in here because they don't own the property and can't find the owner. It's simple, but very clever." he explained with a wide grin.

"Does the city have a name?" Raven asked curiously as the car began to sink into the hole in the ground, shuddering slightly.

"Casa de Los Muertos." Raul's grin widened at the name.

"House of the Dead? That's an eerie name for a city."

"Yes, but it's true in a way. Once you enter this city, you are dead to the outside world. Here, the dead walk the streets. We are those that have chosen to be cast away from the world, in order to work to make it a better place. We are The Pride."

Raven nodded slowly, staring out the window and waiting for her first glimpse of Casa de Los Muertos. Soon, light began to filter in from outside. Raven gasped at what she saw. All around them, massive buildings rose up from the ground. There were paved streets and houses, and she could see people dotting the streets. She was surprised to see a bright afternoon sky around them, and shot Raul a confused look.

"I don't understand. We're underground, but it looks just like we're still outside. How is this possible?" she asked him, jabbing her thumb at the blue sky.

"Oh, that. It's a hologram created by the science and research department. It's just to make Casa de Los Muertos seem as normal as possible. It's quite convincing, isn't it?" he asked as the tram began to rumble toward a nearby station.

"Yes, quite. That's pretty advanced."

"Yes, the science department has a lot of very advanced technologies I can only begin to understand. Come on, get ready. We're here."

Raul stood and stretched as the tram car slid into the station and lurched to a stop. Raven grabbed Snowmelt's leash and stood next to him, waiting for someone to open the door. After a moment it slid open, and a man stood on the other side. He was only a few inches taller than Raven, with messy blonde hair and bright blue eyes. He wore a black cloak and a pin like Raven's, except it had a lion's head instead of a lioness'. He smiled when he spotted them, and his grin widened when he saw Snowmelt.

"You didn't tell me she had a _dog_! Hey there, little buddy." he crooned and bent to pet the dog.

"Zane, this isn't a very professional greeting for our newest member." Raul scolded lightly, rolling his eyes.

Zane looked up, an embarrassed blush on his face, and jumped to his feet.

"Sorry, sir. Hello, Mrs. Raven. I am Zane Daives, and I'll be showing you to your new house. I'm one of Elite Raul's subordinates, so we'll be working in the same department." he said quickly, holding his hand out to her.

"It's a pleasure to meet you. I take it you won't be coming with us?" she asked Raul, shaking Zane's hand happily.

"I'm afraid not. I have a meeting with Daniel, whom I suggest you refer to as the Alpha Heir from now on, to let him know of the new member of my staff. Zane should be able to get you to the house I have set up for you. Perhaps he can introduce you to the other members of the staff as well. For now, this is farewell. I'll be seeing you very soon." Raul waved and walked away, his cloak waving behind him.

Zane watched him walk away, then grinned happily at Raven.

"Alright, let's go! I talked to the others, and we're going to meet them at a little restaurant in town after we drop your stuff of at your new house, so we better get moving! Let's go!" he crowed happily and took off at a brisk run down the stairs.

Raven yelped and ran after him, a smile spreading across her face. It was impossible to be even slightly glum around a person with as much energy as Zane seemed to have. She chased after him, laughing loudly as Snowmelt pulled her along, eagerly enjoying the game as well. Zane finally stopped running once he got outside the Air Tram Station, and it only took Raven a moment to catch up with Snowmelt pulling her. Zane grinned at her once she had caught up to him and patted Snowmelt's head affectionately.

"Now that Raul's not here, I can pet him. I love dogs." he said with a sloppy grin, ruffling the dog's fur happily.

"I do, too. That's why I couldn't leave him behind." Raven answered, smiling at him and patting Snowmelt's side.

"I'm really surprised Raul agreed to let you bring him. He must have really wanted you to join The Pride."

Raven shrugged, not really knowing how to answer him. Zane smiled and started down the sidewalk, Raven and Snowmelt by his side. Raven looked around in amazement as they walked, unable to fully grasp the magnificence of the city around her. Zane noticed her amazement and smirked softly.

"It's pretty cool, isn't it?" he asked happily.

"Are you kidding? It's absolutely mind-blowing. It looks just like any regular above-ground city." Raven replied slowly, taking in the sights around her.

"Yeah, I had the same reaction when Raul brought me here. It took me a few days to get used to it."

"Oh? How long have you been here?" Raven turned to look at him curiously.

"About four years. Raul found me a few days after I got done with my Career Exam. I was supposed to be a chef, but I hate cooking. I'm only good at it because my family was poor and our mother forced us all to learn how to cook. Anyway, Raul offered me a chance to change the world, and I quickly snapped it up." Zane smiled to himself at the memories the conversation brought back.

"Hmm. It sounds like Raul tries to find the most miserable people above ground to recruit."

Zane laughed at that, clapping her hard on the back.

"I wasn't quite _miserable_, Raven. Just a little put out. But, I did want to make the world a better place. Still do. That's why I'm here. Come on, your new house isn't far from here." he said, taking off running again.

Snowmelt barked and ran after him, dragging Raven along behind him. She giggled as the energetic man ran down the sidewalk, people jumping out of his way. She yelled apologies as Snowmelt knocked them aside, the only thing in his mind catching the man he was chasing. After a few hectic minutes Zane stopped, kneeling to catch his breath. Snowmelt ran and tackled him, bowling him over onto his back. He laughed as the dog licked him happily, Raven panting and kneeling beside him.

"I'm sorry about that." she apologized weakly.

"No worries. Look up. This is your place." Zane panted, sitting up and gesturing to the house they were in front of.

It was a small, one-story building, with light blue walls and dark blue tiles on the roof. The yard was spacious, with a high black-steel fence all the way around it. A beautifully worked gate led into the front yard, and a cobblestone path went up to the door. Raven smiled happily at it; it was perfect, so calm and picturesque. Zane grinned at her satisfied expression and stood up, digging a set of keys out of his pocket. He jammed one into the lock on the gate and opened it, swinging the gate inward and standing back to let Raven pass.

Raven smiled and led Snowmelt into the yard, watching Zane walk in behind her and close the gate.

"What do you think? Raul's going to have someone come out here later to install a doggy door for Snowmelt, but everything else is done." he said calmly.

"I love it. I think Snowmelt likes it, too." Raven nodded down at the dog, who was tugging on his leash and whining.

She smiled and unclasped the leash, letting the dog run around the yard. He ran about quickly, his nose to the ground and tail wagging. Zane smiled as they watched him explore.

"He won't try to get out, will he?" he asked.

"Nah. He's pretty well trained. He knows not to try and get out. Come on, I'm eager to see the rest of my new house!" Raven answered, running up to the front door.

Zane chuckled at her enthusiasm and followed, sticking a key into the lock on the dark blue front door. The door opened, creaking slightly, and Raven raced into the house. Zane smiled as she darted about, closing the door behind him and walking into the living room. Raven stared at everything around her; the room was fully furnished. There was a television, couch, a couple of armchairs, a coffee table, and even a potted plant on one corner.

"Wow, it's already got all of this stuff in it." she whispered in surprise.

"Well, yeah. The whole house is like that. Did you think Raul was gonna drop you into an empty house? Come on, he has much more class than that." Zane joked, understanding her amazement; he had been amazed to find his house full, too.

"Really? The whole house?" Raven asked, walking into the kitchen and opening the various drawers and cabinets. They were all full.

"Yeah. I even think he filled the fridge. He got you some clothes, too. Everything but the doggy door has been done. I'll let you explore a bit, and I'll be back at eight to take you to meet the rest of the department, okay?" Zane asked with a smile.

"Yeah, sounds fine. Thank you for your help, Zane." Raven thanked him gratefully.

"Of course. Let me know if you ever need anything." Zane replied, somewhat embarrassed, before putting her keys on a counter in the kitchen and leaving.

Raven watched him leave with a smile across her face, then continued exploring the house. Zane had been right; Raul had taken care of everything she could possibly need. The fridge was completely stocked, and there were non-perishables in a set of cabinets next to it as well. The bathroom had been stocked with toiletries, and the bedroom closet had been piled high with sheets and blankets of various covers. Raven spread a set of blue blankets on the bed, then covered them with a fluffy black blanket. She smiled and left the bedroom, plopping down onto the couch in her living room.

She still could hardly believe that she was there, in a house in an underground city. The past few weeks had passed by so quickly, she hadn't had much time to recover. She sighed and scooped up the remote control for her television and began channel surfing, deciding to relax until Zane came to get her. She flicked aimlessly through the different channels, not really sure what she wanted to watch. A banner flashing across the screen caught her attention, and she set the remote down. She had stopped on a news channel, and read the banner quietly to herself.

"Body of young woman found mutilated in apartment building." she read, her eyes widening; it was her apartment building.

Raven sat forward, eager to see what the newscaster had to say about her "death".

"At about six o'clock tonight the body of a young woman was found badly mutilated by a neighbor, who reports that he had heard some strange noises coming from the apartment several minutes before. The apartment was reportedly ransacked, and the woman's dog was found dead as well, apparently stabbed to death. The young woman has been identified as twenty-four year old Raven Eromreven, a Battlefield Clearer who had just returned from an assignment in Europe two weeks before. One of our colleagues spoke to her partner, Garret Granger, to get his reaction to his partner's bloody murder." the man said solemnly.

Raven groaned and felt her stomach tighten in regret when Granger appeared on the screen. His eyes were bloodshot and puffy, and he looked like a mess. A young woman stood next to him, holding a microphone in his face and waiting eagerly for a signal from the people at the news studio. She seemed to get the signal, for she promptly began interviewing the distraught man.

"So, Mr. Granger, what was Mrs. Eromreven like?" she asked, and Granger shuddered at the mention of Raven's name.

"She...she was a bit quiet and liked to keep to herself, but she was fun and easy to get along with once you had earned her trust." he answered, his voice dull and raspy.

"Now, Raven was found with her dog nearby. Can you tell us anything about that?"

Granger shuddered again, and looked like he might throw up. Instead, small tears leaked from the corners of his eyes.

"Yes. He was a Siberian Husky she had named Snowmelt. I gave him to her a year and a half ago as a birthday present. He was so loyal...I'm sure he died trying to save Raven's life. He was...he was a good dog." Granger bit his lip and inhaled deeply.

"One last question, Mr. Granger. Was there anything special between the two of you?"

Raven and Granger both paused at this. Raven held her breath, waiting for Granger's answer. Granger sighed, and then gave it.

"We were really close friends. If given more time, I would have liked...to be given the chance to pursue her romantically...I'm not sure if it would have worked out, but I would have liked to try. But now...I won't get the chance." he muttered, turning away from the interviewer.

The young woman put on her best fake frown and patted his shoulder. He surprised her by tearing his arm away with a snarl and storming away, his eyes flashing dangerously. The woman watched him for a moment, then turned back toward the camera.

"That was a very torn-up Garret Granger. Back to you, Tom." she said slowly.

"Thank you, Cynthia. An investigation has been launched into this terrible crime, and the police hope to find the culprit quickly. Until then, people are advised to be more cautious, especially when outside, alone, or at night. In other news..."

Raven snatched up the remote and turned off the television, tossing the remote to the ground and collapsing on the couch. She cried openly, hugging a pillow to her chest and letting the tears fall freely from her eyes. She had known that making everyone think she was dead would be excruciatingly painful, but the force of it still hit her like a battering ram. She lied on the couch and cried for several long minutes, then finally managed to pull herself together. She sniffed and sat up, glancing at the watch strapped to her left wrist.

"Ah, it's seven. Zane will be here at eight. I can't let anyone see me like this. I need to shower, and change." she muttered to herself, forcing herself to stand up.

She sighed and walked into the small bathroom, slamming the door behind her. She started the shower and kicked off her clothes, stepping into the water once she had deemed it warm enough. She showered quickly, relishing in the feeling of warm water against her tired body. Once she was done she walked to her bedroom and dug through her closet, picking a pair of white jeans and a black shirt. She dried her hair and brushed her teeth, then pulled her black cloak back on over her clothes. By the time Zane arrived, she was ready.

The sound of Snowmelt barking and yipping alerted her to Zane's arrival. She made it to the door right as the door bell rang, its deep toll throbbing throughout the lonely little house. Raven unlocked and pulled open the door, smiling her most sincere smile at the grinning man on the other side. His eyes widened a bit as he looked her over, and his grin became an amused smirk.

"Wow, Raven. You look great. You didn't have to wash up or anything, it's just a little dinner." he commented, moving aside so she could join him outside.

"I know, but first impressions are important. So, what's the name of this place we're going to?" she asked, locking the door.

"It's a little Chinese place called the Pink Pearl. Raul's treating all of us to dinner." Zane answered, leading her to the gate as Snowmelt walked calmly behind them, panting happily.

"That's nice of him."

Zane chuckled and let her pass, closing the gate behind them. He gestured for her to follow him, leading her up the street. The holographic sky had become a deep purple, the color of the evening sky outside. Raven stared at it in amazement, smiling softly. Zane watched her, a gentle smile on his face. After twenty or so minutes, they paused in front of a small building. The words "Pink Pearl" glittered above it in soft pink neon letters. Zane grinned and looked at the suddenly nervous woman at his side.

"We're here, Raven. Get ready to meet the other members of the Casa de Muertos Intelligence Department!"


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter Eight**

Raven shivered slightly, staring up at the suddenly terrifying building before her. Inside were the people she would be working with for the rest of her life, ready to meet and judge her. She shuddered and took a step back, unsure of if she was ready to meet them. It suddenly seemed like everything was happening to fast, and she didn't know how to deal with it.

"Z-Zane...I'm scared..." she whispered.

Zane looked at her, then gave an understanding smile and took her hand in his. She jumped a little at the unexpected contact and shot him a confused look. She was about to yell at him, but he silenced her with a look.

"I had the same reaction when I first came here. Raven, I'm here for you, always will be. Pride members need to stick together. Now, come on. Everyone's waiting inside for us." he said reassuringly, starting toward the entrance to the restaurant.

Raven sighed and tried to still the butterflies having seizures in her stomach before allowing the young man to lead her into the restaurant. A group of people sitting at a large table in a corner looked up as they entered, a bell chiming to signal their arrival. Raul sat among them, and he stood and walked over to greet them with a warm smile.

"There you two are. We were worried you got along too well and decided not to join us." he joked, winking at them.

Raven flinched, Granger's face flashing through her mind, and Zane chuckled and blushed a little.

"I considered it, but decided I'd let her settle in a bit before I turned on the old Zane-charm, eh?" Zane chuckled at his own feeble joke.

"A good idea." Raul answered, taking Raven's arm and leading her to their table.

Five other people sat at the table, and one stood a few feet away, watching them with an almost appraising stare. Raul stopped at the edge of the table and addressed the people sitting there patiently.

"If you will wait just a moment, there is someone I need to introduce young Mrs. Eromreven to. Thank you for your patience." he spoke regally, giving the impression that this matter was serious.

Raul then led Raven to the man standing away from the table. The man stood up straighter as they approached, and a small smile crossed his lips. He was only a few inches shorter than Raul, and his messy black hair stood up at odd angles, some of it falling into his face. He also had a thin mustache above his lip, and a small patch of black hair on his chin. He had bright, soul-searching blue eyes and his skin was somewhat pale, contrasting with the black pants he wore. A black jacket hung loosely from his shoulders, slightly covering the red dress shirt he wore beneath it. He had a Pride pin attached to his chest; it was gold with a black lion's head on it. Raven gasped as she realized who this man was; it was Daniel Wolverhampton, the Alpha Heir.

"My Heir, this is Mrs. Raven Eromreven, the woman I've recruited as my new secretary. Raven, this is our Alpha Heir." Raul introduced them, watching them both very carefully.

Daniel's smile widened, and he held his hand out to Raven. She shook it slowly, not sure what to say to him. He seemed to sense this, and he laughed, a deep sound that reverberated throughout the restaurant.

"Relax, Mrs. Eromreven. I'm not going to bite you. I just wanted to meet the woman Raul here went through so much trouble to recruit. He's told me a lot about you, and said you were an extraordinary young woman. I see he wasn't wrong." he said gently.

"Th-thank you, sir." Raven said stiffly, blushing deeply at his compliment.

"Please, Mrs. Eromreven...call me Daniel."

Raul and the people at the table exchanged quick glances at this. Raven simply smiled and nodded at him.

"Only if you call me Raven." she said with a smile.

"Deal." Daniel's smile became an amused grin.

The sudden chiming of the door caught their attention, and they turned to see a massive man approaching them. He was tall and almost outrageously muscular, with bright green eyes and brown hair pulled back in a short ponytail. He wore a pair of jeans and a billowing black cloak, with a black pin with a red lion on it attached to the cloak's front. The man stopped by Daniel's side and looked down at him, towering over everyone else in the restaurant. He was quite intimidating, and Raven took a fearful step away from him. Daniel noticed and chuckled.

"Don't worry, he's just my bodyguard. Kujo, this is Raven. Raven, meet Kujo." Daniel said with an enthusiastic wave of his hand.

"Is your name _really_ Kujo?" Raven couldn't help but ask, eliciting chuckles from him, Daniel, and Raul.

"Ah, no. My name's Dustin. My Heir just calls me Kujo because of my size, and how fiercely I protect him. Now, my Heir...we need to be returning home. Your parents are waiting." Kujo reminded him with a nod.

Daniel glanced at his watch, then sighed and nodded back at him.

"Alright. Well, Raven, it was certainly a pleasure to meet you. I hope to see you again sometime." he said before bowing  
politely and leaving the restaurant, Kujo following close behind him.

Raven watched them leave, then turned back to Raul to see that he had a thoughtful look on his face. When she asked him about it, he simply smiled and led her to the table where everyone else was waiting for them.

"Sit at the head of the table tonight, Raven. This is your welcome party." he said softly, pulling the chair out for her.

Raven smiled and nodded gratefully, sinking tiredly into the chair. The other people at the table smiled happily at her as Raul sat down in the chair to her right. Zane sat to her left, playing with a string hanging from the sleeve of his cloak. Raul cleared his throat loudly, drawing everyone's attention to him.

"Everyone, I want you to meet Mrs. Raven Eromreven. Starting in a few days, she will be the newest addition to our department. Why don't you introduce yourselves? Zane, you and Raven are already acquainted. I guess you're first, Jayme." he said, gesturing to the young woman at Zane's other side.

Jayme was a thin, short young woman, a few inched shy of Raven's height. She had red hair that curled down her back to her waist, and vibrant olive-green eyes. She smiled happily and stuck her hand out, grinning when Raven shook it.

"Hi, I'm Jayme Smith." she chirped in a high-pitched voice.

"Nice to meet you." Raven replied somewhat shyly.

The man next to Jayme cleared his throat, and she shot him a disapproving look and let go of Raven's hand, grumbling. He was a good deal taller than her, with broad shoulders and muscle rivaling Kujo's buff physique. He had a severe air about him, with cold gray eyes and thick, messy black hair that hung around his face. He sat rigid with his arms crossed, staring at Raven so hard that it made a shudder run up her spine. Zane noticed her uneasiness and prodded the man's shoulder.

"Adam, chill. You're creeping her out." he growled harshly.

Adam blinked and jumped a little, then gave Raven an apologetic look. He visibly relaxed, his facial expression becoming much less stern. He seemed to become a whole different person right before her eyes.

"Sorry, Raven. I was lost in thought. My name's Adam Coon." he said with a reassuring smile.

Raven smiled back at him, then turned to the man next to him. He was much shorter than Adam, and much less muscular as well. His skin was very dark; he must have been of middle eastern descent. He had long black hair which he kept tied back in a ponytail, and soothing brown eyes. He grinned at her when he noticed that she was looking at him.

"Hey. I'm Yafar Ashal. Welcome to the team, Raven." he said with a slight accent.

Raven nodded and looked over at the next person, a tall, thin blonde woman who didn't seem to be paying them much attention. She sat with her green eyes staring at the screen of her cell phone, giggling like a teenage girl. Raul shot her a harsh glare, but she either didn't notice or didn't care, for she did not react. Yafar sighed and snatched the phone away from her, and she yelped and pounced at him, trying to get it back.

"Yafar, you ass, give it back! I'm talking to Brittany!" she whined in a gratingly annoying voice.

"You shouldn't be texting at something like this, dumb bitch." Yafar snapped back, holding the phone as far away from her as possible.

"Yafar, Eve! Language, we're in a restaurant! Yafar, give her back her phone. And Eve, put the stupid thing away!" Raul snapped at both of them.

The two subordinates unwillingly did as they were told, glaring daggers at each other. Raven sighed, feeling somewhat awkward, and turned to look at the person sitting on Raul's other side. He was just as tall as Raul, with light brown hair and soft blue eyes. He wore a black cap atop his head, and had one side of his bottom lip pierced. A thin mustache hovered above his lip. He smiled warmly at her, hoping to diffuse the tension Yafar and Eve had caused.

"Sorry about them. They've never gotten along all that well. My name's Charlie Evergreen. Eve is my little sister." he explained; Eve snorted and looked away from him disdainfully.

"It's not a relation she enjoys." Charlie muttered darkly.

Raul sighed and ran one of his hands through his hair in frustration.

"Sorry about this, Raven. Things aren't really going as I had hoped. I _thought_ they could behave for a little bit." He hissed the last sentence, shooting them a stern look.

The group shifted a little in their seats, uncomfortable. Raven simply chuckled and waved her hand dismissively.

"No worries. I'm just glad that I made it here." she said with a smile.

"Good. Well, you must be hungry, so let's order!" Raul smiled and waved a waiter over, and within a few minutes they were digging in to plates of Chinese food.

The dinner passed with a relatively calmer air, the other Pride members asking Raven about little bits and pieces of her past. She happily answered, stifling her sadness at the fact that she had just left all of it behind. The dinner passed quickly, and soon it was almost pitch black outside. Raul glanced out the window, then turned back to look at her with a soft smile.

"Well, I'm glad to be able to welcome you to our department, Raven. It's late, and I'm sure you're tired. Zane, if you would walk Raven back home, I'm sure she would appreciate it. I'll contact you in a few days. Here, it's a welcome present." he said, handing her a cell phone.

Raven smiled and took the phone, looking at him gratefully.

"Thank you, Raul." she said softly.

"You're welcome. You'll have to call me Elite Santana in public from now on. Now, all of our phone numbers have already been programmed into that phone, and we have yours as well. Call us if you need anything. I'll have Zane show you around town a little tomorrow. In a week, you start work with us. Until then, farewell."

Raul and the others stood, waving goodbye and shaking Raven's hand as they walked out of the restaurant, leaving her and Zane alone.

"Come on, let's get you home. Here." Zane smiled softly at her, holding his arm out.

Raven glanced at him, then slowly took his arm and allowed him to lead her from the restaurant. They walked in calm silence for a few minutes, Raven still mystified by how accurate the holographic sky looked. Zane watched her curiously, then sighed.

"You saw that spot on TV, didn't you?" he asked quietly.

Raven sighed and stopped, making Zane stop and look back at her, watching her.

"Yeah, I saw it. Raul's people did a really good job." she replied slowly, looking down.

Zane sighed, regretting bringing the subject up, and tugged on her arm.

"Hey, I know it's hard now. But it'll get better. We're fighting to make the world a better place. To take down a corrupt government and replace it with something that will make everyone happy." he reminded her, starting down the street.

Raven nodded, walking beside him and trying to push the memory of her apartment smeared with blood out of her head. As they approached the house, they could hear Snowmelt's overexcited barking greeting them. Zane chuckled and stopped outside the gate, watching it rattle as the dog pressed his front paws against it.

"Looks like he missed you." he said with a warm smile.

"Yeah. He needs a little bit of time to get used to the new place. Well, I guess I'll see you tomorrow." Raven replied.

"Yeah, definitely." Zane grinned at her "I'll come by at about ten to show you around town. Does that sound good to you?"

"Yeah."

"Alright. Well, until then, goodnight."

"Night."

Raven watched as Zane walked calmly down the street, then pushed the gate open and stepped into the yard. Snowmelt barked and jumped at her, panting happily and rubbing against her legs. She laughed and petted him, walking up to the front door and unlocking it. She stood aside to let Snowmelt pass, and he ran inside and eagerly started racing around the house. Raven groaned as she heard the distinct sound of something heavy hitting the ground, and was quick to lock the door behind her and search out the source of the noise.

She found it in the kitchen; Snowmelt had knocked over one of the chairs at her kitchen table. She sighed and picked it up, scooting it back into its place. Snowmelt then came bounding into the room, his mouth open in what looked like a hyperactive smile. Raven turned to glare at him and crossed her arms over her chest.

"Snowmelt, you little idiot! How many times have I told you not to run around the house, hmm?" she admonished him.

Of course, the dog didn't understand a word she had said. He just looked up at her, that hyperactive grin spread wider across his face, and wagged his tail. Raven groaned and decided to drop the issue, walking drowsily into her bedroom. She quickly changed into some pajamas and collapsed onto her bed, glad that the day was finally over. Snowmelt walked in after her and jumped onto the bed, laying down next to her and panting contently.

"What do you think, boy?" Raven asked him quietly.

Snowmelt looked at her and thumped his tail against the bed.

"Yeah. It is pretty strange, isn't it? Almost makes me want to go back home, but...it's for the greater good."

The dog didn't respond; he simply stared at her and sniffed a little bit.

"Good. Alright. Goodnight." Raven patted him on the head before rolling over onto her side. Within a few minutes, the exhausted young woman was asleep.

Snowmelt looked down at his owner quietly, watching her drift to sleep. He whimpered a little, but she didn't seem to hear him. The dog gave up and let his head fall onto the soft blanket he was laying on, and he soon joined Raven in exhausted slumber.


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter Nine**

A soft sigh escaped Raven's lips as she walked, zipping her cloak up and checking her appearance in the mirror. Satisfied, she left the bedroom and walked into the kitchen, opening her fridge and scanning the contents. She finally found what she was looking for and pulled it out of the stuffed appliance; a plate of biscuits she had made the day before. She quickly slid two of them onto the kitchen table before returning the plate to its place and letting the door swing shut. She sat down at the table and started eating the cold, somewhat hard biscuits, watching Snowmelt run around outside through a window.

She chuckled to herself as he ran around the house. They had been there for a week and he still behaved like it was the first day. She ate her breakfast quickly and stood up, glancing at her watch; it was seven thirty. According to Zane, work usually started at close to nine. Today was Raven's first day, so it would probably mostly just job training for her. Zane was supposed to drive by and pick her up a little early so that he could show her around the building. The throbbing of the doorbell let Raven know that he had arrived.

"Hey there, Raven! Ready for your first day of work?" Zane asked as Raven pulled the door open.

"As ready as I'll ever be." she replied, stepping out and locking the door behind her.

Zane grinned happily at her, bending to pet Snowmelt for a minute before they left. The dog had gotten used to him, since he visited Raven almost daily, and played in the yard with him sometimes. Jayme, Charlie, and Yafar had visited a few times as well; Adam and Eve had yet to show up. Zane stood back up, and Snowmelt whined, wanting to play.

"Sorry, bud, not right now. We'll play later." Zane reassured him, walking toward the gate.

Raven chuckled as they passed through the gate, locking it behind them. She was surprised to see Zane's car. She had expected something big and loud, something that really announced his presence. Instead, it was a medium-sized white hover car, sitting inconspicuously in front of her house. Zane looked over at her expectantly, and was puzzled by her curious expression.

"What's wrong?" he asked, looking back at his car.

"Nothing. It's just that you're so energetic and loud, I expected you to have a car that was the same way." Raven replied.

Zane laughed loudly at her response.

"Oh, that's all? I thought you were seeing a scratch or a bump I wasn't. I saw this car at the dealership and I liked it. It's got a lot of personality for a small vehicle. Come on, hop in." he said, opening the driver's side door and climbing inside.

Raven did as he asked, sitting down in the other seat and pulling the end of her cloak in after her. Zane started up the little car, and Raven felt it lift up off the ground a few inches. She tensed up a little bit; she had only ever ridden in a hover car a couple of times, and still wasn't completely comfortable with the idea. Zane noticed her tension and chuckled, starting toward the Intelligence Department Building.

"Chill out, Raven. I'm a good driver. Besides, we'll be there soon enough." he said soothingly, carefully watching as traffic pulsed around them.

The roads were very busy, will cars hovering over the roads or driving directly on them. Raven watched them pass through her window, trying to see the people in the cars as they drove to their destinations. They looked just like the varied array of people she would expect to see while looking out a window in Atlanta. This surprised her somewhat; she had expected to see only a certain type of people in Casa de Los Muertos. Instead, she had gotten a city just as diverse, perhaps even more than, the one above.

Thirty minutes later Zane pulled into a parking lot in front of a three story brick building, parking in a reserved space near the sliding glass doors that marked the entrance. He turned the car off and got out, watching as Raven followed suit. She stood and groaned, stretching her stiff back and looking up at the large building before her.

"Only eight people work in this huge building?" she asked skeptically.

"No, the Science and Research department has the bottom two floors. Intelligence is on top. We're a pretty small department, but there are larger ones in other Pride cities all over the world." Zane replied with a smile.

Raven nodded as Zane led her toward the doors, which slid open with a whir as they approached. The inside of the building reminded her faintly of the Atlanta Government Building, with scuffed-up marble floors and two long staircases going up. Several hallways branched from the main room, leading off into the depths of the large building, and people in billowing black cloaks hurried about with stern looks on their faces.

"Why does everyone look so tense?" Raven asked, following her guide to the elevators behind the massive staircases.

"The people in Science and Research are always like that. They're always working on new technologies to help the cause, and I imagine it gets a bit hectic from time to time. It's certainly never still and quiet down here." Zane explained, mashing the up button next to the elevator.

"What's it like up in our department?"

Zane chuckled at her, waiting for the elevator to arrive. There was a dinging noise as his wish was granted, and the doors slowly peeled open to let them in. They both stepped into the small space, and Zane selected their floor and turned to look at Raven as the elevator started its slow climb.

"It's a lot quieter upstairs. Most of what you'll be doing is reading, classifying, and organizing files for Elite Santana. The rest of us do a lot of different things on laptops and other such devices." he said nonchalantly.

"Did Elite Santana not have anyone to do that before?"

"Oh, yeah, he did. He was elderly, though. Got the flu, and it turned into a nasty infection. He passed away a few weeks ago. Yafar was doing it until you started work. He's glad you're starting today, too, because he hates filing things."

Raven smiled as the elevator stopped, its doors sliding open and letting them step out onto the marble floor. Zane was right; it was much calmer and quieter upstairs. In fact, it looked like they were the only ones there at the moment. The floor was separated into eight cubicles, one of which was much larger than the others, and a few larger rooms near the opposite wall. Zane walked calmly to one of the cubicles and eased the door open, flicking on the light.

The room inside was littered with scraps of paper everywhere, and pictures from magazines and newspaper articles were thumb-tacked to cork boards on the walls. Two laptops and a few P.D.A's sat on a wooden desk shoved into a corner, and a rolling chair stacked with papers and books sat behind it. Zane gave a sheepish grin as Raven looked over his messy office.

"Is it always this messy in here?" she asked.

"Pretty much, but all of this stuff is relevant to my job and the cases I'm assigned. Let me show you your office." Zane said quickly, trying to change the subject.

He bustled by her quickly, walking to a cubicle on the other side of the hall. He pushed it open and turned on the light, standing back so Raven could get a good look at the inside. It was nearly empty, with only a desk, chair, and a single laptop inside. A small sign with "R. Eromreven" stamped across it in gold letters sparkled neatly on the corner of the desk. Raven walked into the small room and looked around, smiling. There were cork boards on all four walls, leaving plenty of room for Raven to pin up drawings and pictures she liked. Zane smiled at the satisfied look on her face.

"This is where you'll be reading and classifying all of the files Elite Santana, the others, and myself bring you. After they're done, you bring them in here and sort them by class and alphabetical order." he said, leading her to one of the large rooms on the other end of the floor.

He pushed the door open, and the light came on automatically, revealing a spacious room lined with filing cabinets. Each cabinet was labeled with a letter and a number. They dominated the otherwise empty room, making it look twice as large as it already was.

"See, you'll be classifying them by number. The numbers correlate with what kind of file it is, and what it's about. They'll be listen on the laptop in your office. Got it?" Zane asked, smiling at her.

"Yeah, easy. I did a lot of filing when I wasn't off clearing battlefields. I think I can handle this." Raven smiled back and walked back to her office.

Zane followed and watched as she sat down in her chair and turned the laptop on. The screen flashed blue, then lit up. There were several icons neatly organized in one corner, and files in the other. One of the files was labeled "classification", and Raven clicked on it, watching as a long list was opened up for her. Zane chuckled at the startled expression on her face.

"You might wanna start reading. There are a lot of categories, and we start work in forty-five minutes. Come and let me know if you don't understand something. That way, we can be confused together!" he laughed and returned to his office, leaving Raven alone in her cubicle.

The forty-five minutes passed quickly, with everyone greeting them with a smile, glance, or wave as they arrived and retreated to their own cubicles. Raul arrived last, looking a bit flustered and muttering darkly to himself. He smiled when he saw Raven and stuck his head in the door.

"Hello there, Mrs. Eromreven. Did Mr. Daives explain everything adequately enough for you?" he asked.

"Yes, Elite Santana. I'm just reading over the list of classifications." Raven replied with a nervous smile.

"Good, good. Well, we'll start bringing you files to work on soon, so I hope you're ready. Good luck. I'm sure you'll do wonderfully."

Raven smiled thankfully as Raul walked past and into the larger cubicle, shutting the door briskly behind him. She then sighed and continued reading over the list, her eyebrows knit in concentration. Her train of thought was derailed fifteen minutes later by Eve pushing the door open and dropping a thick file onto her desk, spilling papers everywhere. Raven jumped and growled angrily, stooping to pick them up. Eve simply stood and watched, a blank look across her face.

"How about a little help here?" Raven asked, looking up at the apathetic woman.

"Not my problem. Welcome to The Pride." Eve replied, shrugging her shoulders and walking back to her office.

Raven watched in disbelief, sighing and scooping the papers back up. Luckily, the pages were all numbered in the corner, so it was easy enough to organize them. She grunted and set the file down in front of her, looking over her shoulder at the door to Eve's cubicle.

"What's her problem?" she wondered aloud, flicking the file open.

Raven gasped at the sheer amount of papers inside the folder. The type was also very small, and she had to squint to read some of it. They expected her to read _all_ of this? How anyone could finish this in one day was a mystery to her, but she knew she had to do it. She sighed and shifted into a more comfortable position, pulling the file into her lap and beginning to read quietly to herself.

"Day twenty-seven of the Dubai Investigative Operation, as stated in File Xx85KL3-98." she paused; what did all of this mean?

Several frustrated minutes passed, and she had only gotten to the bottom of the page when there was a knock on her door. She jumped and looked up as Yafar eased the door open, a smaller file in one of his hands. Raven groaned and shook her head.

"Another one? I'm not even understanding this one very well." she complained frustratedly.

"You don't really have to read the whole thing. You want me to show you a little trick the guy who was in here before you showed me?" Yafar asked, walking over to her and setting his file down on the corner of her desk.

"Please!" she pleadingly, looking at him hopefully.

Yafar chuckled and picked up the file she was working on, scanning over the first page. He smiled to himself and chuckled.

"This is gonna be a I:D-7. I've looked over some from the same operation and filed them. Here's what you do." he said, bending so she could see the file, "You just look at the number here, and the initials here. It works every time. It's a good idea to scan over them really quickly just to make sure, but it's fail-safe."

Raven grinned at how simple it was. She smiled and took the file from him, writing the classification label across the folder with a pen. She then set it on her desk with a relieved sigh.

"Thank you so much. I don't think I could have read all of that." she said happily.

"No problem. Just don't let Raul see you doing it. He doesn't exactly approve of the method. Plus, some of the files are really interesting. Alright, I'll see you later. I've got quite the workload to get through today. Good luck, Raven." Yafar gave her a reassuring smile and left the office.

Raven smiled and scooped up his file, flipping it open and looking at the things he had pointed out. She then scanned the papers to see if she was right. This one was far easier to understand; it was about a false document sent to the Federal Government Office in Raleigh, detailing a trade deal with China. She smiled when she saw that Yafar's method worked. She thought about reading it, but decided to save that for later. The file sounded somewhat interesting, but it was something she would have to go through after she finished classifying some of the other ones.

"It's a C:R-9. Excellent." she scrawled its label across the front and dropped it one the desk, ready for the next one.

As the day passed, several files were dropped onto Raven's desk. She used Yafar's method for each of them, and read over the smaller ones during her free time. They were very interesting, and gave her hints about the kinds of things The Pride was doing. There were false trade documents, orders to detain certain people at airports for certain amounts of time, false records, progress reports on missions, and she even came across an order to free an innocent man framed for murder from prison. This one caught her attention, and she paused to flip through it.

"Wow..." she breathed quietly to herself, reading over the transcripts from his trial in wonder; how could he have been found guilty?

"Pretty interesting stuff, isn't it?" a familiar voice asked.

Raven looked up to see Zane leaning against her door frame, smiling that sloppy smile of his. He walked over and stood behind her, scanning the page quickly.

"Ah, I heard a little about that. So, I just wanted to let you know that work ends in thirty minutes, so you might wanna go ahead and go file those in the back room." he said, pointing to the clock on her laptop screen. It was almost five o'clock.

"Wow, time passed pretty quickly. I guess I was enjoying reading these more than I thought." Raven chuckled and stood up, scooping the folders up in her thin arms.

Zane stood aside and let her pass, walking behind her as she made her way to the filing room. Yafar, Adam, and Jayme were standing in the hall, chatting happily to one another. They smiled when they saw Raven and her armload of files.

"Hey, Raven. Liking it so far?" Jayme asked in a peppy tone.

"Yeah, it's really interesting." Raven replied with a nod.

"Not to hard for ya, is it?" Yafar winked slyly at her, making sure no one else noticed the gesture.

"No, it's really pretty cool to learn about what sorts of things The Pride does like this."

"I'm glad you enjoy it. Just know that you aren't allowed to share any of the secrets you learn here, okay?"

They turned to see Elite Santana walking calmly toward them, his hands stuffed in his pockets.

"Go ahead and file those, Mrs. Eromreven. I'll see you lot here tomorrow." he spoke tiredly and brushed past them and into the elevator.

Raven smiled and walked to the filing room, pushing the door open with her foot and walking inside. She set the files down on top of one of the filing cabinets, and started putting them in their correct places slowly. Zane watched her with his typical grin across his face as she muttered the file classifications to herself.

"Let's see...this one's C:R-9, so it goes over here...and these two are J:S-7 and J:S-8, so they'll be over here..." she whispered to herself, sliding the files into their places.

She finished after a few minutes, looking up at Zane with a satisfied smile. He grinned back and nodded toward the elevator, and she followed him to it. He hummed an airy tune to himself as they rode it down to the first floor and walked out to his car.

"So, how are you feeling about everything?" he asked as they got into the car.

"Pretty good. I think I can do this, and I like it more than I thought I would. It certainly beats my previous job." Raven replied with a tired smile.

"Hungry?"

"Yeah, starving."

"Well, why don't we go get dinner? There's a pretty decent pizza parlor on the way to your place called Gino's. Wanna run by there and get some pizza?"

Raven thought about it for a moment, then smiled and nodded.

"Sure, I don't see why not." she said happily.

"Cool. And we can take our leftovers to Snowmelt. I bet he'll appreciate them." Zane reasoned.

"Yeah, I'm sure he will."

Zane nodded and fell silent, concentrating on his driving. Raven sighed and leaned her head against the car window, watching the city blur past as they drove. She was exhausted, and her eyes were a little sore from all of the reading, but she was very happy with her first day on the job. She felt much happier than she had in a long time. Finally, she was able to live her dream of helping make the world a better place, and all she had to do at the moment was read and classify folders. She also got to learn things about The Pride that others weren't able to. The idea sent tingles of excitement up her spine. She was finally able to make a difference.


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter Ten **

Raven smiled to herself, stepping back to get a better look at what she had done. The drawing she had pinned to the cork board on her office wall fluttered a little, shuffling the others around it. She had been pinning drawings, photos, and poems to the walls of her office since her second day of work. She had been there for a month now, and the walls were almost completely covered with scraps of paper. Several folders sat on her desk, all waiting for her to classify and file them.

Raven had figured out her own system for work over the past few weeks. She would classify five files, then go to the back room and put them away, and repeat. She still used Yafar's method for classifying the ones she couldn't understand, but she was glad to take the time to read the other ones. She liked to know what The Pride was up to.

The files she got had been steadily getting more and more intense. She got more cases of people being released from prisons, and she had even come across a few assassination reports, mostly of corrupt business leaders. A chill always ran up her spine as she read through these; the killing and disposing of the target were described in detail, and she often found herself unable to finish them. It disturbed her that people were being murdered for the cause, but a part of her had expected it from the moment Raul had told her what The Pride was trying to do. That didn't make it any easier to swallow.

"Nice drawing, Raven. Do that one yourself?"

Raven looked over her shoulder with a smile to see Charlie walking into the office, two folders in his hands.

"Yeah. It's my dog. Wow, two files?" she asked, gesturing to them.

"One's from me, one's from Eve. She asked me to bring it in here for her."

Raven sighed and took the files from him, laying them on her desk.

"What's her problem?" she asked, sitting down in her chair and pulling the thinner of the two files into her lap.

"I dunno. She's just snarky like that. I think she fell and got a pole shoved up her rear end when she was little." Charlie gave a sarcastic chuckle, shrugging.

"Heh. Well, I hope she gets that fixed soon. She's always so rude when she comes in here."

"She does that to everyone, but she's really good at her job. Well, I've gotta go put more files together for ya."

Raven grunted as Charlie left the room, then looked down at the file and flicked it open. She scanned over the front, then quickly wrote its class on the side. It was a simple false trade document. These were getting less and less frequent, as trade was beginning to crumble between the different areas; most likely because of The Pride's work. In fact, there was a lot of tension growing in the outside world, and the World Parliament was not happy about it.

President Boulder had appeared on television several times, trying to stifle rumors of a rebel group trying to crash the government. He also discouraged fighting; it was clear that he was nervous of another war starting. The news stations liked to report the stories of business failings and mistakes made, most of them due to Pride intervention. When the assassinations started, the media blew up about them. Trade issues were quickly forgotten in the whir of rumors spreading about the deaths.

Raven set the file aside and reached for the next one, opening it. It was much thicker than the first one, and most of it seemed to be a bunch of codes and numbers. She sighed and classified it, then started trying to pick through it to see what it was about. It didn't take her long to figure it out, and she was surprised; it was a report on hacking government websites. Her curiosity piqued, she began combing through the file carefully. A sharp knock on the door tore her thought away from the file, and she waited for whoever it was to just walk in. They didn't.

Raven looked up curiously, closing the file and setting it down.

"Uhm...come in." she said slowly, not used to people waiting to walk into her office.

To her surprise, Daniel Wolverhampton walked calmly into the room, Kujo following close behind him. He wore an easygoing smile across his face, and he chuckled at the surprised look on Raven's face.

"Hey. I was just going to ask you where Elite Santana is? I need to talk to him about something." he said, stopping in front of her desk.

"He's not in his office?" Raven asked, even more shocked at this; Raul was almost always in his office, or talking to someone in theirs.

"No, I already looked. No one else knows where he's scampered off to, either."

Raven knitted her eyebrows and sat back in her chair.

"I have no idea. He might have just run off to take care of something. Do you need me to take a message?" she asked.

"Nah, I'll just call him about it later. Thanks anyway, though. See ya later." Daniel waved and turned to leave, but froze in place.

He turned back and walked over to one of Raven's cork boards, examining the drawings and photos carefully. Kujo and Raven both watched him quietly as he scrutinized each one for several seconds at a time. After a few awkward minutes of silence, he turned back to look at Raven with a curious smile.

"Did you do these?" he asked, jabbing his thumb at them.

"Not all of them, just the drawings. I found the photos and poems online." Raven replied, nodding at he laptop.

"They're really good." Daniel spoke slowly, looking at her with a new curiosity.

"Oh, well, thank you...it's just something I do in my spare time." Raven blushed a little at his curious gaze, avoiding his eyes as much as she could.

Daniel stood in contemplative silence for a moment, then smiled at her invitingly.

"I know this might seem a bit forward and sudden, but I would like to get to know you a little better, Mrs. Eromreven. How would you like to have dinner with me in, let's say, two days? I'll pick you up at your house, I know a really nice place in town we can go to." he asked.

Both Raven and Kujo were shocked by his sudden request, and Raven's face went several shades of red. Both men watched her as she considered Daniel's offer. It didn't take much deep thought; it would probably be unwise to refuse him. Besides, she was somewhat curious about him as well, and this was a good opportunity to have some of that curiosity satiated.

"Yeah, that would be great. What time should I expect you? And what should I wear?" she asked softly.

Daniel grinned happily and chuckled.

"Let's say seven o'clock. You can dress up if you want to. I probably will." he replied.

Raven nodded and smiled at him, and he returned the smile before walking out of the room. Kujo watched Raven for a brief moment, then followed Daniel out of the room. Raven sat in complete silence, contemplating what had just happened. It had happened so quickly that she didn't really get a chance to think about it. Now that she could, the force of what had just transpired hit her light a freight train; she had been asked out by the Alpha Heir! Not only that, but she had agreed!

The rest of the day passed by in somewhat of a blur, and Raven was much more distracted than usual. The others noticed her spaciness, and at the end of the day Zane approached her in the filing room, watching her put away the last files of the day.

"What's got you so spacy today, Raven?" he asked curiously.

"The Alpha Heir came in and talked to me today." she answered, shutting the last filing cabinet and standing up.

"So? He spoke to us, too. He was looking for Elite Santana."

"Yes, but...he asked me out for dinner in a couple of days." Raven blushed a bit and glanced away from him.

Zane stared at her in disbelief for a moment, then seemed to shake it off. He cleared his throat and spoke in a calm, but very curious, tone.

"You mean, like, on a date?" he asked slowly, trying to clarify things in his head.

"I don't know. He didn't specifically say it was a date, but he did say he was going to dress up for it." Raven answered, rubbing her arm and looking at him in embarrassment.

"Wow. Well, this is...pretty freaking awesome! Who knows, maybe you'll end up as the Beta Heir, eh, Raven?"

Raven's face became an interesting shade of purple, and she snorted derisively. Zane could see that he had embarrassed her, and he grinned victoriously. Raven noticed his gleeful expression and glared at him.

"Please, Zane. It's just dinner. It's not like I'm going to marry the guy!" she snapped, crossing her arms stubbornly.

"Marry who?"

Raven spun around to see Yafar and Jayme looking at her curiously. Before she could speak, Zane had pushed by her and turned to stand between them, grinning slyly. He cleared his throat importantly, then spoke as if making an important announcement.

"Mrs. Eromreven has been asked to dinner by none other than our Alpha Heir." he said in as innocent a tone as he could muster, suppressing amused giggles like a small child.

Yafar and Jayme exchanged surprised looks, then grinned deviously.

"Ooh, Raven! This is big! Wow! What are you gonna wear?" Jayme gushed, grinning.

"I don't know, a dress or something." Raven muttered darkly, shooting Zane a glare.

Jayme grinned excitedly at her, rocking back and forth on her heels.

"Can I take you home tomorrow and help you pick your dress?" she asked, more excited about the dinner than Raven was.

"Ah, sure." Raven replied quickly, pushing past them and walking to the elevator.

Zane chuckled at how much of a hurry she was in and followed, giving a polite nod at the others as he passed. He jumped into the elevator next to Raven. Who shot him a frustrated look after the doors closed. He simply chuckled and patted her on the head as one would pat a dog.

"Don't be that way, Raven. It was all in good fun. Besides, this is more of a big deal than you realize. The Alpha Heir has only dated a few women that I know of, and none of those relationships went very well. Maybe you'll be the one that sticks." he said with a shrug, walking by as the elevator doors slid open.

Raven sighed and followed him out to his car, plopping down in her usual spot after he unlocked the doors. Within a few minutes they were on their way down the familiar road to Raven's house. Zane was listening to some strange, grinding music, and Raven was simply lost in thought. If Zane was right, and this turned into more than a one-time thing, she had no idea what it would mean for her. She still wasn't completely sure what the specific roles of the Alpha and Beta were, and had no idea what would be expected of her if she started dating Daniel. One thing was for sure; things were going to be getting very complicated in the next few days.


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter Eleven**

Raven paced around her room nervously, glancing down at her watch and exhaling loudly. Jayme sat on her bed, watching her with a somewhat amused look on her face. She chuckled at Raven's nervous demeanor, rolling onto her side and watching the young woman wear ruts in the carpet. It was the night of her date with Daniel, and she was nervous as hell. She was now wondering if she wanted to do this at all; the anxiety was almost to much to handle.

"Raven, dear, relax. You look wonderful. Everything is going to go swimmingly." she tried to soothe her friend.

"I hope you're right. He's going to be here any minute!" Raven replied, her anxiety evident in her voice.

"Yep, and you two are going to have a great time, if you relax and be yourself. Now chill."

Raven nodded, walking in front of her mirror and looking herself over. She wore a long blue dress, similar to the one she had worn for the "date" with Raul. She had to admit to herself that she looked nice in the dress Jayme had picked for her. Plus, the way her friend had done her hair brought out the shape of her face well.

Her confidence melted into a puddle as soon as she heard the ring of the doorbell.

"Oh! He's here! I had better go!" Jayme jumped up and grabbed her purse, running for the door.

Raven ran after her, wobbling in her high heels, and had almost caught up to her when she pulled the front door open. Daniel stood on the other side, alone, wearing a nice black suit and a gold tie. He blinked in surprise as Jayme greeted him, a small, embarrassed smile across her face.

"Sorry, I was visiting Raven. If you'll just excuse me." she said, nodded toward her car, which was parked along the side of the road.

"Yes, of course. Have a good night, Mrs. Smith." Daniel smiled politely and stood aside, letting her brush past and jog to her car.

Daniel chuckled, then turned back to the door. His eyes widened a bit as her saw Raven standing in the door frame, waving goodbye to her friend as she sped away. A large grin crossed his face at how nice she looked. He had imagined that she would look nice in formal clothes, but he hadn't been expecting this.

"You look absolutely radiant, Raven." he managed, his lips suddenly dry and hard to speak through.

"Oh, uhm, thank you. You look very nice, too." Raven replied shyly, her face turning a light shade of pink.

Daniel smiled wider at her blush and stood aside, motioning toward his car. It was a sleek black hover car, which didn't surprise her at all. She thanked him softly and carefully walked across the lawn toward the gate. She could hear Snowmelt's barking coming from inside the house; she had locked him into the bathroom until she got back. Daniel unlocked the car and watched Raven climb in before scooting into the driver's seat.

"So, how are you doing?" he said, starting the car and messing around with the dials on the dashboard.

"Uhm, pretty good. And yourself?" she gave him an odd look; what a peculiar question.

He seemed to realize how odd his question had been, for his face reddened a bit in embarrassment.

"Heh. I'm doing pretty good, ready for a great night." he tried again, starting down the street.

"Yes, likewise. Where did you say we were going again?"

"It's a nice restaurant uptown called The Blue Swan. I've only been a couple of times, but their food is exquisite."

Raven smiled happily and looked out the window as buildings passed by. They chatted a little as Daniel drove, discussing things from work to the design of the city. Soon enough they pulled into the parking lot behind a large white-brick building. Raven gawped up at it as she stepped out of the car, her eyes as wide as dinner plates. The building was magnificent, two stories tall with a bright neon-blue sign hanging above the front door. A row of bushes surrounded the building, save for a gap near the front where a little path cut through, and little blue lights glinted from their branches.

"Wow...this is...magnificent." Raven stammered, closing the car door behind her.

Daniel grinned and walked up beside her, offering her his arm.

"I thought this would be a nice place for dinner." he said smoothly, leading her toward the restaurant.

"It's a bit fancy for a first date, isn't it?"

"Perhaps, but I like this place, and I thought you would like it, too."

Daniel pushed the large oak double doors at the entrance open, and Raven stopped and stared. The inside of the Blue Swan was even fancier than the outside, with large paintings of lakes, rivers, and streams hanging up on white walls, and dark blue carpet on the floor. A large crystal chandelier hung from the center of the ceiling, casting bars of light all over the somewhat dim building. Several well-dressed waiters and waitresses bustled about, carrying bottles of champagne and plates of delicious-smelling food. One of them approached them, and a surprised look flashed across his face as he saw who his customers were. It was quickly replaced by a calm smile, and he bowed slightly at Daniel.

"My Heir, what a pleasant surprise. We had no idea you planned on joining us for dinner tonight. Good evening, sir." he said with a regal air.

"Good evening. Could you escort Mrs. Eromreven and I to a table upstairs? Preferably near a window?" Daniel replied, trying to suppress a wide grin.

"Of course, sir. Right this way, if you please."

They followed the man to a set of stairs near the back of the restaurant. Other customers looked up as they passed, and spoke to each other in hushed whispers as they realized who they were. Daniel let a small smile cross his lips as they navigated their way around tables, keeping his eyes on the waiter in front of him. They made their way slowly up the stairs to the second floor, which was not nearly as busy as the floor below. The waiter took them to a table right next to a window, offering a sweeping look at the city outside.

Raven's eyes lit up at the sight of all of the lights of the city. Daniel stood and watched her as she walked up to the large panel of glass and stared out over Casa de Los Muertos, her eyes seeming to glaze over a little. He smiled softy to himself, then turned to the waiter.

"Can you bring us a bottle of your best champagne?" he asked quietly.

"And a glass of water? I don't drink very often." Raven interjected, turning away from the window to look at them.

"Of course, sir, milady. I will be back in a few minutes with them." he bowed again and hurried off, leaving them alone.

Raven smiled and sank into her chair, pulling her dress around into a more comfortable position. Daniel sat down opposite her and removed his black suit top, hanging it over the back of his chair. He smiled at Raven and relaxed a bit, smoothing a wrinkle in the white cloth on the table.

"As I said earlier, Raven, you look wonderful." he started slowly.

"Thank you. So do you. I bet we're causing quite a stir here." she replied with a slightly embarrassed smile.

"I would imagine so. I don't date much, so the news that we went out together for a nice dinner will spread like wildfire. I bet the media is putting together a nice story for tomorrow morning's news right now. " Daniel chuckled as if he had told a joke.

"Really? I would think girls would be scrambling to get their hands on you, so to speak. The news would make them even more eager to claw at you, too."

Daniel was about to answer when their waiter returned, carrying a couple of empty glasses, a bottle of champagne, and a glass of water. He set them down on the table, then fished two menus out from under his arm and laid them in front of them.

"I'll give you two a few minutes to look over the menu, then will be back to take your orders shortly." he said, bowing and walking away quickly.

"Ah...anyway, yes, women do act a little clingy and needy when I'm at social events. However, I find it very annoying." Daniel said with a chuckle, picking up his menu, "They only do it because of my title. I don't want someone who only likes me because I have influence. I want someone who likes me for me."

Raven nodded, scanning her menu as well. She wasn't surprised to see that she had never had any of the fancy-sounding foods offered there. She knitted her eyebrows as she read the descriptions of the different items, shaking her head in wonder at all of the foods involved in the making of one dish. She was used to simple dishes like meatloaf and peas, not dishes that sounded like they could feed an entire family by themselves. Daniel noticed her confusion and chuckled at her perplexed expression.

"If I may make a recommendation...I would say get the Island Salmon. It's very tender, and they marinate it in a mixture of spices and island sauce with pineapple. It's pretty good." he said, pointing it out on his menu.

"That does sound really good. I've not had seafood in a pretty long time." Raven read the description, then smiled and closed her menu.

A few minutes passed, and the waiter returned with a notepad in his hands. He smiled as he approached, and stopped right at the edge of their table.

"Are you ready to order?" he asked, leaning over them a little.

"Yes. I'll try the Island Salmon." Raven answered with a smile, handing him her menu.

"An excellent choice, milady. And for you, my Heir?"

"I was thinking that the Maple Plank Salmon sounded nice. Make it a little spicy, if you please." Daniel handed him his menu as well, returning his attention to the woman in front of him.

"Of course, sir. Your food will be ready shortly." the man rushed off in a hurry.

"I hope they aren't neglecting any of the other customers just for us." Raven sighed, looking out over the city through the window.

Daniel watched her for a moment, contemplating her words, and took a small sip of his champagne.

"That's part of why I wanted to bring you out here. Raul told me that you seemed to think more about helping the world than what it may cost you. Now, you're thinking about the other customers instead of being glad that we're being treated differently. I like that about you. It's a rare quality in human beings." he said softly.

Raven looked up in surprise. She had never been complimented for that before, and she wasn't really sure how to respond. She was quiet for a few minutes, trying to think up an appropriate response. Daniel seemed to understand, for he sat back and waited patiently for her answer. After a moment, something finally came to her.

"You're different than I expected you to be." Raven suddenly blurted out.

"Am I?" it was Daniel's turn to be surprised and curious.

"Yes. When Raul told me that you were the son of the leaders of The Pride, I thought you would be some snobby, spoiled little brat. Instead, you seem to be a pretty good person. You obviously care about the people around you, and it sounds like you spend a lot of time thinking about the future as well."

Daniel sat back and considered this. He was surprised at how quickly Raven had decided that he wasn't just some spoiled kid. He had spoken to her only a few times, yet she acted as if they had known one other for a long time. She obviously didn't care about sucking up to him, which was a relief in and of itself. She was being herself; and he liked it.

"That's an interesting notion, in it's own right." he said softly.

The waiter returned after about twenty minutes, in which time Raven and Daniel continued to talk. He smiled happily when he saw how well they were getting along, and was overjoyed that the Alpha Heir had chosen to bring his date to the Blue Swan. The publicity would surely bring more customers, and more money to line his wallet in the long run. He approached their table, humming a light tune and carrying their plates in his arms.

"Here are your orders. Do you need anything else?" he asked, setting their plates in front of them.

"No, I believe we'll be fine. Thank you, sir." Daniel gave him a sincere smile, and he bowed deeply and retreated back down the stairs.

Raven looked down at her plate, her eyes widening at how wonderful everything looked. She had never eaten anything like this. Part of her didn't want to touch it; it looked to good to eat.

"This looks awesome. Thank you for bringing me here, Daniel." she said softly, spearing her salmon with her fork almost regretfully.

Daniel chuckled at the look on her face.

"Of course. Thank you for coming with me." he replied, digging in to his meal.

The meal passed quickly, with the two talking about whatever they could think of. People would come up the stairs and steal glimpses at the two of them, retreating quickly and whispering amongst themselves. Raven and Daniel ignored them and continued talking and eating, enjoying each others company. Before they knew it, and hour had passed, and they had both finished their meals. They relaxed and sat back, waiting for their waiter to come back and take their empty plates.

"Well Raven, that was a wonderful meal. I'm glad to have shared it with you." Daniel said, digging his wallet out of his pocket.

"I enjoyed it, too. Here, let me pay for mine." Raven reached for her wallet, but Daniel waved his hand at her.

"No, no. I took you out, I'm paying for your meal." he said with a smile.

Their waiter returned with their bill, and Daniel paid for their meal. They thanked the man for his service, and he tittered almost endlessly about how much of an "honor" it had been to serve them. Daniel offered Raven his arm, and she took it with a smile. The waiter watched happily as they walked down the stairs, and the people downstairs watched them closely as they left the restaurant. It was cold outside, and a shiver ran down Raven's spine.

"Damn. I should have thought to bring a jacket." she complained bitterly.

Daniel immediately shrugged off his suit top and handed it to her, smiling contently as she slipped it onto her thin shoulders. It was much to big for her, and made her look like a dwarf. He chuckled at the blush that colored Raven's face and climbed into his car, disregarding the hawk-like stares of the people inside the restaurant. Raven carefully sat down in her seat and buckled up quickly before they started back toward her house.

The road was much less busy at night, and it was much calmer outside. Raven leaned her forehead against the cool glass window and stared out at the nighttime city as Daniel drove, stealing glances at her every now and then. After a few minutes of content silence, Daniel broke the silence.

"So, Raven...I was wondering...if you wanted to go out again sometime?" he asked tentatively, sounding suddenly nervous.

"Oh. Uhm...yeah. That would be fun. I had a really good time tonight." Raven replied with a reassuring smile.

A large grin spread across Daniel's face, and Raven couldn't help but grin back at him. Within a few more quiet minutes they pulled up in front of Raven's house and parked. They got out of the car, and could hear Snowmelt's excited barking at the sound of the car doors slamming shut. Daniel chuckled and led her through the gate to her front door, a content look on his face. They stopped at the front door and stood facing one another, not exactly sure what to say to one another at this point. After a few almost awkward moments, Raven spoke up.

"Well, I guess I'll see you soon?" she asked, trying to break the awkward silence.

"Yeah, of course. How about a movie? Maybe Monday night?" Daniel asked, shifting his weight a little nervously.

"That should be fine. I'll see you then. Goodnight, Daniel." she smiled and hugged him.

He went tense for a moment, then relaxed and returned the hug.

"Goodnight, Raven." he whispered into her ear before pulling away and jogging to his car.

Raven watched him leave, her mind racing. She was exhausted, but was glad that she had gone to dinner with him. She just didn't know if she would be hearing rumors about Daniel and herself in a few days. She didn't doubt it, what with his position in The Pride, but she hoped that people would be respectful enough not to speculate. She sighed and pulled the suit top closer to her shivering frame.

"Eh? Oh, shit! I forgot to give him his jacket back!"


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter Twelve**

"Day seven, emissaries from Europe went to the North American capitol of Washington, D.C, to discuss the growing terrorism from the group calling themselves The Pride..." Raven read quietly to herself, her eyebrows furrowed in concentration.

It had been several weeks since her date with Daniel, and now the two of them were going steady. The media for the city had snapped up the news like a ravenous flytrap snaps at a large meal, and she had seen the interview with their waiter from The Blue Swan on several news channels and journal covers. Rumors had indeed spread, but they were easy enough to ignore and disprove. The only real annoyance was how much Zane and Jayme teased her about the relationship, and how Eve had been attempting to become her friend just to get close to Daniel. This had, of course, failed, and now the woman hated her even more than she had to begin with.

The stories about the Alpha Heir and his new girlfriend had quickly been overshadowed when the Alpha decided to reveal to the World Parliament who it was that was messing up everything they were working so hard to control. He had sent them an anonymous letter from an undisclosed address above ground telling them the name of their group, and that they would stop at nothing to destroy them. It was clearly a scare tactic; and it worked. The World Parliament was in a complete panic, desperately trying to find out where this mysterious letter had come from, and where The Pride could possibly be based. They had no idea how large the organization they were dealing with was, and President Boulder had given an address reassuring the world that The Pride was "nothing to worry about". He could never have been more wrong.

Raven sighed and scribbled the classification label across the side of the folder and tossed it onto the edge of her desk. Ever since the Alpha had sent that letter, almost every file that was brought to her had something to do with the government trying to find them. It got somewhat tiresome, and she had to admit that she missed the more exciting files she had gotten before all of this started. However, Raul assured all of them that this was a major step in the right direction. He said that if the Alpha was confident enough to tell the World Parliament about them, then he was certainly confident that their mission was almost over.

A knock on the door tore Raven from her thoughts, and she looked up to see Zane standing in the doorway, holding a stack of files in his arms.

"I've got some gifts for you, Raven." he said, grinning ear to ear and setting them down on her desk.

"Are you kidding me? Look at how thick these are! It'll take hours to finish all of this!" she growled, running her hands through her hair in frustration; things had gotten a lot busier since the Alpha's letter, too.

"I wish I was, but I'm not. You think it's bad for you, we have to type these things up. It's such a pain in the ass." Zane replied, shrugging and leaving the room.

Raven groaned and snatched the first file up, flipping it open and starting to read. Her eyes widened at what she read; this was an order to destroy a weapons supply building in South America. This was definite proof that things were getting more intense above. If they were destroying weapons supply companies, then surely bigger companies were up next.

"This is crazy...I've only been here a couple of months, and things are getting really intense. I hope things don't go crazy after we finish this business." she muttered to herself.

"I agree wholeheartedly."

Raven looked up to see Daniel walking into the room, a small frown on his face. He walked over to her and bent to plant a quick kiss on her cheek, seeming somewhat distracted. She looked up at him and noticed dark circles under his eyes.

"Have you not been sleeping?" she asked softly.

"I didn't sleep well last night. I've been thinking about all of this mess. Wondering if this whole destroy and replace the government thing is going to work." Daniel whispered back, sitting down on her desk.

"I've been wondering about that, too, but it's too late to stop now. Your parents probably wouldn't listen to us about it anyway."

"You're probably right. We just have to wait and see what they do."

"When do I get to meet them?" a sly grin spread across her face.

"Eventually. For now, I need to go talk to Elite Santana. I just wanted to see what you were up to. See you later." Daniel smiled and walked out of the room, leaving Raven alone to think.

Things were certainly getting more intense around Casa de Los Muertos, and Raven wasn't sure she was liking it. She wanted to make the world a better place, but was starting to think that this might not be the best way to do it. There was starting to be a lot of violence, more so than anyone was comfortable with. She had never been a fan of violence; it was part of why she joined The Pride, to stop government cruelty and abuse. The violence The Pride used wasn't much better than what the World Parliament did.

She sighed and scooped up the next file. The day passed by in a blur, and by the time it got to quitting time, Raven's eyes were burning from reading all of the files. She stood and muffled a yawn with the back of one of her hands, picking up the last stack of folders and carrying them carefully to the back room. Her arms were full, so she had to use her elbow to push the door open. She was surprised to see that several of the filing cabinets were left open, and looked like someone had been combing through them hurriedly.

"Elite Santana, can you come here for a moment?" she yelled nervously, not sure what was going on.

A minute later the man peeked around the door, a curious expression on his face.

"What is it, Mrs. Eromreven?" he asked calmly.

"Why are all of these cabinets open?"

He looked at the cabinets, then chuckled.

"Oh, that. Our Heir was looking for a certain file that was stored away about a year ago. I suppose it took a lot of digging around. Looks like he was in such a hurry that he forgot to close the filing cabinets." he said just as calmly, stepping into the room.

This gave Raven an uneasy feeling in the pit of her stomach. She and Daniel hadn't been dating for all that long, and she had never even met his parents, but she had learned a lot about him during their time together. One of the things she had learned was that he was a surprisingly organized person that liked for things to be in order. For him to forget to restore order to a room after he had messed it up was very unusual. Whatever he had been looking for, it was very important; and that worried her.

"What was he looking for?" she asked quietly, taking her files to their respective cabinets and closing the open ones.

"I am afraid that it wasn't a file that I was overly associated with, so I don't know much about it. If I remember correctly, it has something to do with the history of the three World Wars. I asked why he wanted it, but he just told me not to worry about it and ran back here." Raul said contemplatively, his brow furrowing at the uneasy look on Raven's face.

"Elite Santana, can I ask your opinion of something?"

Raul watched her for a moment, confused, then nodded.

"Yes, of course."

"Do you think The Pride is going about this the right way? I mean, what happens if we fail? If a new corrupt government rises from the ashes of the old one?" Raven asked with a hint of bitterness in her voice.

Raul leaned back against the wall and thought about her question for a few silent minutes. He had considered the same question several times himself, and had never come up with an answer that he was comfortable with. The thought of another corrupt government made his blood boil with anger, but the other option was far worse; war and anarchy. He had to satisfy himself with the hopeful assumption that the Alpha's plan would work.

"I don't really know what to tell you. I'm sure that there probably is a better, less violent way to achieve our goal. However, that would take more time than what we currently seem to have." he said slowly, drumming his fingers against the wall behind him.

"What do you mean?"

"You wouldn't see this, since you're not an Elite, but the countries of the world are growing tired of the World Parliament as well."

"Isn't that a good thing?"

Raul sighed and shook his head, trying to think of a good way to explain his point.

"In a way it is. However, they're getting tired of them for all the wrong reasons. We want to provide a government that gives everyone equal power and keeps the world stable and peaceful. People in the various countries don't _want_ that, though. They want war. You can see it in how they act toward each other, especially in the World Parliament meetings. The only thing keeping World War Four from breaking out is the Parliament's strict run of everything. If it weren't for that, the entire world would be consumed in blood and gunfire." he said bitterly.

"How exactly are we supposed to stop that from happening?" Raven was almost in a panic now; world war was certainly not something she wanted to be responsible for causing.

"We are hoping that if we go in and establish a stable government as fast as we can, they won't see any reason to fight anymore. Then we can be at peace, real peace." Raul replied soothingly, hearing the panicked note in his subordinate's voice.

Raul watched Raven carefully as she nodded slowly and started to leave the room. She didn't look convinced, but he wasn't sure what else he could say to her to make her stop worrying. Of course, he was just as worried as she was. Things were getting harder, and it was clear that The Pride was going to make its final move very soon. When that happened, they would have to watch with bated breath to see what would ensue. If The Pride went in and set up their government quickly enough, then things would probably work themselves out, and peace would hopefully reign supreme. If not...

"Raven, everything is going to be okay. We're doing the right thing, okay?" he said suddenly.

Raven, who was waiting for the elevator, turned back to look at him. The look on her face sent a shudder of uneasiness down the man's spine; it was a blank, yet somehow terrifying look of contemplative disquiet. She allowed the smallest int of a smile to curl her lips as a loud ding alerted her to the elevator's doors sliding open. She stepped into the elevator and massed one of the buttons before looking up and speaking.

"Are you trying to convince me, or yourself?"

The elevator doors closed on her, and she sighed and leaned against the metal walls as it carried her down to the first floor. She had known that there was tension between the different areas of the world; hell, being a Battlefield Clearer had shown her that much. She didn't know that they were on the brink of war. Yet, she wasn't sure that The Pride was actually helping. She had spent weeks reading files that detailed trade exchanges gone wrong, mysterious assassinations, vanishing legal documents, and the like. It seemed like The Pride was causing more trouble than it was fixing.

Thoughts consumed Raven as she hopped into Zane's car, and she sat in complete silence as he drove her home. He seemed just as worried about something as she was, and it wouldn't surprise her if it had been the same issue. When they pulled up in front of her house, she thanked him quietly and walked to the gate. Snowmelt was more than happy to see her, but he backed away as she pushed the gate open, seeming to sense her low spirits. Raven smiled softly and patted him on the head, the sound of Zane's car fading away as he drove off.

"It's okay, boy. I'm just starting to wonder if joining The Pride was the right decision after all." she muttered to him, walking to her door and going inside.

Raven sighed as she walked into her house and stretched, popping her back loudly. She walked into the kitchen and pulled her fridge open, scanning the contents for something easy to cook, or leftovers. She was happy to find a container of leftover shrimp pasta from the night before, and she tossed the container unceremoniously into the microwave. Once the microwave started heating the container up, she went into the living room and turned on the television, searching for something to watch to help her relax. The news was definitely out, and she eventually settled on an old rerun from a comedy she liked.

Within a few minutes she was laying on the couch, the container of pasta sitting on her coffee table and a forced smile on her face. She tried to erase the nagging thoughts from her mind and enjoy the show, but she couldn't do it. Every joke and gag fell flat under the crushing weight of the thoughts rushing through her mind, and she eventually gave up and turned off the television. She sat slumped over, her head in her hands, as Raul's words played over and over in her head. She couldn't seem to shake the feeling of fear that was slowly creeping upon her.

When Snowmelt began barking she looked up curiously. The ringing of the doorbell confirmed her suspicion; she had a surprise guest, and she wasn't in the mood for surprises. She groaned and walked over to the door, pulling it open and scowling at whoever was at the other side. The look on her face did an about-face as she saw who it was.

"Daniel? What are you doing here?" she asked in surprise, standing aside to let him in.

Daniel looked at her with anxiety across his face, and she immediately knew that something was terribly wrong. He sighed and ran one of his hands through his already messy hair, glancing around as if looking for a place to start. He finally sighed and looked back at her.

"There's something wrong, Raven. I think The Pride is trying to start World War Four."


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter Thirteen**

Daniel sat in one of the arm chairs in Raven's living room, sipping from a glass of water and swirling it around absentmindedly, watching the water sway to his movements. Raven sat across from him in the other arm chair, eating her pasta and waiting for him to explain what he had said. They sat without speaking for a few minutes, the only sounds being Raven eating as quietly as she could. Curiosity burned at her, but she had to force herself to be patient and wait for Daniel to start. After another moment, he finally began.

"I've been noticing a lot of odd files going between my father and some of the Elites in The Pride for a while now. They were all really obscure, mostly a bunch of letters and numbers jumbled together in indiscernible patterns." he said slowly, staring at his glass of water.

"I've seen a few like that. I never really paid them much attention, though. I think Eve is the one who's given me all of those. Is it code?" Raven asked, sitting forward in her seat a little.

"I believe so. Eve, huh? I'll need to have a chat with her about all of this. You see, I decided to get copies of as many of these coded files as I could, so I could try to decode them. I don't like the idea that my parents are having to use code for important files. It makes me very uneasy about their true motives."

Raven sat in silence for a moment, not sure how to respond to him. A thought suddenly popped into her head, and she looked up at him quickly.

"Is that what you were looking for in the back room today? Where all the filing cabinets are kept?" she asked.

"Yes. I told Elite Santana I was looking for an old war document or whatnot, but I just needed a viable excuse to get this." Daniel replied, pulling a folder out from under his jacket and sliding it across the coffee table to her.

Raven picked up the thick folder and opened it, flipping through it carefully. Daniel sat in quiet patience, waiting for her to finish looking through it. After a few minutes, the color drained from Raven's face and she looked up at him with wide-eyes.

"Is this...?" she paused, biting her lip in thought.

"Yes. It's the key to the code all of those files are written in, along with copies of as many of those files I could get my hands on. These are the real plans for The Pride. This is our real agenda. And it's also why I came over here. I need your help." Daniel stood up and walked over to her, standing a mere foot away from her chair.

Raven sighed and set the files down on the small table next to her chair. She sat back and looked up at him, searching for something in his eyes. All she saw was desperation and fear; the exact things she was feeling at this point.

"Of course. What do you need me to do?" she asked, determination in her voice.

Daniel grinned and nodded, sitting down in front of the coffee table. Raven stood up and sat down on the other side of it, and Daniel waited for her to get comfortable before proceeding. He opened the folder he had taken from the chair-side table and set the individual files down. He then organized them into rows by date, leaving the key out by itself. He then dug a folded piece of paper from his pocket and unfolded it. It was blank.

"Alright. Here is what we're going to do. I'm gonna make a copy of the key for you. Then we're gonna go through and translate all of these files." he said seriously, pulling a pen from his pocket as well.

"We're going to do that for all of these? We'll be up all night." Raven pointed out, pulling one of the files to her.

"There were a lot more. I was up all night last night doing those. We can do it quickly if we work together." Daniel replied hurriedly, scribbling the copy of the key down on the piece of paper.

When he was done he quickly handed her the paper, then snatched up a file and started going over it. Raven chuckled nervously at his stubborn determination, then pulled a pen from her own pocket and started translating her own file. She had to hand it to whoever had written this code; it was very well done. It was extremely complex, and she was sure that it would be nearly impossible to crack without having the key right in front of her.

After an hour, they had successfully gone through four of the eleven files Daniel had brought. Raven's mind was blown. She had been through two of them, and both were detailed plans for destroying certain businesses, buildings, and establishments and blaming the damage on countries that the owners of the objects or institutions hated. A shudder ran down her spine.

"Daniel...it looks like they're trying to start a war." she muttered softly.

"I know. That's what all of these point to. We need to get through all of them tonight. Come on." Daniel tapped an unread folder urgently, and Raven scooped it up quickly.

Another several hours passed, and it was three o'clock in the morning by the time they had one file left. It was a very thin file, containing only a few sheets of coded paper. Raven got up and walked to Daniel's side of the table, sitting down next to him. He smiled sleepily as she grabbed the last file and held it up so they could both look at it.

"We need to read this one together." she whispered quietly.

"You're right. This is the most recent one I could find. Shall we?" Daniel replied, lacing one of his arms over her shoulder.

Raven nodded, and they began reading over the last file. As they read, the color slowly drained from their faces. Raven couldn't believe what she was reading; they had been right. The Alpha and Beta were trying to start World War Four! Raven cleared her throat and licked her dry lips before reading some of the file out loud.

"Patience wears thin in all areas of the world. World Parliament building destruction set for three-thirty A.M on Thursday, March Twentieth. Fighting expected immediately after shock wears off." she read in a shocked, raspy tone.

Daniel sat back and rubbed his tired eyes, his lips pressed together hard. He was shaking in fear and anger, and Raven could see him fighting tears. She immediately hugged him, trying to comfort him even though she was scared and shocked as well.

"Daniel...it's going to be okay...we'll find a way to stop them." she tried to soothe him, but he ignored her efforts.

"How could I not have seen that coming? I'm their son! I've worked for most of my life to promote our ideals of peace and regrowth! Of fresh starts and new government! Lies! It's all been lies!" he yelled angrily, making Snowmelt start barking and clawing at the front door anxiously.

"No one really saw it coming. But I think it's important that we-wait a minute. Daniel, what is today?" Raven asked suddenly, her voice suddenly panicked.

Daniel looked at her blankly for a moment, then gasped loudly.

"It's March twentieth." he whispered.

They both looked up at the clock to see that it was 3:20 A.M. Raven immediately grabbed the T.V remote and turned it on, quickly going to the news channel. Daniel snatched his phone out of his pocket and dialed numbers on it as quickly as he could. He put the phone on speaker, and it rang a couple of times before a familiar voice answered.

"Hello?" Raul answered, his voice sounding as if they had just woken him up.

"Raul, this is Daniel and Raven." Daniel said intently, his eyes locked on the screen on the television.

When Raul next spoke, he sounded much more alert.

"What's wrong? Are you two okay?" he asked urgently.

"Yes, for now, but there is a big problem. Raul, the Alpha and Beta have been lying to everyone for this entire time!" Raven almost shouted in fear.

"What? What are you talking about?"

"Look, we found a bunch of files that were written in a code. Daniel brought some of them and a copy of what the different combinations of code means to my house. We've been up for hours translating them, and the most recent one says that they're going to blow up the Parliament Building at three-thirty tonight, and that they expect fighting to start after that."

Raul was silent for several minutes, and when he spoke his voice was very hard and steely.

"Are you two sure?" he asked.

"Yes, dead sure! As sure as we can be! We have to stop it!" Daniel shouted, frustrated.

"If what you're saying is true with regards to the time, then I'm afraid it's far too late. Hold on."

They heard the sound of fast, heavy footsteps, then the sounds of voices. It sounded like what was on the news at the very moment; Raul had turned the television on at his house. They heard a woman's voice, they assumed his wife, yell at him about it being late. He snapped back at her in Spanish, then spoke to them.

"It should be happening any minute now. All we can do is wait. Do you know any of the people other than the Alpha and Beta who may have been involved in this?" he asked, the sounds of his pacing easily heard.

"I got a few of these encoded files from Eve." Raven answered immediately, shaking in anger.

"That little bitch! No wonder she avoided any friendly interaction with people in our department. She didn't want to get caught. I bet they have rats all over the place." Raul growled lowly.

Raven was about to reply, when a shot of the World Parliament Building came onto the screen. She looked down at her watch in a panic; it was three-thirty. She and Daniel immediately turned their attention to the screen, and from the silence on the other end of the phone they could tell that Raul was watching it too. The newscaster on the screen, a young blonde woman, continued her story in complete ignorance of what was about to happen. Suddenly, the screen began to shudder as the camera shook; the ground was rumbling. It had begun.


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter Fourteen**

Raven and Daniel watched in horror as the newscaster swayed and grabbed onto a trash can for balance, turning to look back at the building. The World Parliament Building looked normal at first, its central tower rising imposingly into the night sky. However, after a moment, they began to notice something. Massive cracks were beginning to snake their way up the side of the outer walls as the shuddering of the ground intensified. The newscaster shouted in surprise and fear as chunks of the walls began falling to the ground. The central tower of the panopticon started to sway, and they could hear what sounded like explosions beginning to ring out from under the building in a loud chain of reactions.

They could hear a long string of curses issue from Raul's end of the phone as the walls surrounding the central tower began to crumble to the ground. Dirt, dust, and debris flew into the air as they began seeing the explosions, which looked like they were now working their way around the tower. Somehow, people from The Pride had managed to make a stream of bombs running from under the walls to the top of the tower, wrapping around the tower like a fiery serpent. The explosions went off in a chain, large plumes of fire, smoke, and chips of stone rising into the air in a well-synched rhythm.

Raven gasped as the final explosion went off at the top of the tower, spitting chunks of what used to be the roof of the building into the air. Smoke and dust flew into the air, creating a cloud that hovered above the city like a thick brown blanket. The newscaster stood in shock as the debris fell to the ground, and the silence could almost be felt as millions of people around the world watched the last remains of the once great panopticon collapse to the ground. Raven, Daniel, and Raul were completely silent as the smoke began to clear, drifting away slowly in the wind. The newscaster and her crew were silent as well, staring blankly at the destruction. Raven imagined that the entire world was silent right now, all in shock at the horror they had all witnessed. It was the newscaster on the screen who broke this awful silence.

"The Parliament members were inside...President Boulder was holding a meeting to figure out how to deal with The Pride..." she muttered slowly, her legs giving out as she sank to the ground.

Daniel was about to speak, but Raven quickly shushed him; something was happening to the television screen. It was going fuzzy and sputtering, and it looked like another channel was trying to override the news channel. The screen broke out into a rapidly-moving series of black, white, and gray bars, and it fuzzed loudly. After a few frustrating moments of this, the screen suddenly flashed back to normal, but they didn't see the desolate scene from before.

Instead they now saw the interior of a dimly-lit room, its walls an ominous dark blue and no windows on the walls. There were three massive television screens on the far wall, and each showed the destroyed building from a different angle. Daniel and Raven watched in morbid curiosity as a two hooded figures stepped into view, hiding the screens. Their entire bodies were hidden by royal-looking black cloaks, and only their noses and mouths could be seen, the rest of their faces covered by massive hoods. They stood silently for a moment, then one open its mouth and spoke.

"Well, hello there world. Welcome to a new era. A time not of the peace that we promised so ardently to deliver to those who worked for us. No,no, unfortunately there can be no peace in this world." the woman said slowly.

"No, there can be no peace. I assume all of our wonderful viewers out there are wondering, why? Why can we not live in the harmony promised to us at birth by our parents? Promised in school by our teachers, at our jobs by our bosses. Because humans lust for war." her companion, a man, said with a small smirk.

"That's right. Even now you feel it, don't you? The urge to fight, to hurt other people for no real reason at all. You want to hurt someone, make them squirm, make them cry. You lust for the power that it gives you. And it isn't just you. We are all the same. Humans are all made of the same foul stuffing, the same jealousy, spite, and hatred. And now is the time to show it to the world." the woman reached up and removed her hood slowly.

A weary, tired face met their eyes. The woman looked as if she had been beautiful once, but years of wearing a false smile had worn all of her previous beauty away; inside and out. She had deep-set brown eyes that looked as if they never stopped watering, and very thin, cracked lips. Her auburn colored hair fell in waves around her face, and there were unhealthy-looking splotches of gray interspersed throughout the thick waves. She had deep bags under her eyes, and small wrinkles hung from her face. She looked very tired, and very angry.

"That's right. There is no government. They all perished in the explosion. That means that there is no one to stop you from doing whatever it is that your tainted heart desires. If you want to steal, then do it. If you want to rape, then do it. If you want to _kill_, then do it." the man said harshly, removing his hood as well.

He looked even more tired, angry, and insane than his companion, and there was a barely noticeable glint of madness in his dull blue eyes. His hair was cut considerably shorter than the woman's, but it was almost all gray with a few splotches of black every here and there. His wrinkles were much more pronounced, and the bags under his eyes were almost pitch black. Daniel tensed as he saw them, and a half growl, half whimper slipped from his throat.

"Alpha and Beta...what the hell are they trying to do? Encouraging this madness! No one will listen to them!" he almost roared, shaking in sheer rage.

"Shh, they're not done." Raul hissed at him over the phone.

Daniel growled and returned his attention to the screen, his hands clenching into fists at his sides.

"We have done all of this for you. We did this only to give the public what it wanted; war. Pain. Bloodshed. We leave you now, to do what you wish with this wasted world. Goodbye." the Alpha said in a slow, resigned voice.

The world watched in stunned horror as the two people on the screen took a few steps away from one another, then turned to look at one another. They watched in increasing panic as the two lifted their arms slowly, revealing the handguns each was holding. They stared hard at one another for a moment, then a silent signal seemed to be passed between them, and they each pulled the trigger. Two loud bangs rang through the chamber, and the two stood and stared at each other for a brief moment. Then they crumpled to the ground, going off screen. The screens went fuzzy again, then returned to the scene of the obliterated building.

Raven, Daniel, and Raul were completely silent as they absorbed what had just happened. After a few minutes, they heard a click from the other end of the phone; Raul had hung up. Daniel dropped the phone on the ground, staring at the screen. Raven watched him for a moment, then turned the television off. Daniel immediately turned on her.

"What the hell are you doing? Turn the damn thing back on!" he hissed, glaring at her.

"There isn't any need. Nothing's going to happen yet, and we need sleep to deal with this later. Don't you understand what's just happened?" Raven snapped back at him bitterly.

"Yeah, actually, I do! The world's been thrown into chaos, people are gonna start going bat-shit crazy, and my parents are dead!"

"Yes, but there's more. Now that they're dead, you're in charge. Which means that you have to deal with this in the morning. Which also means that as your girlfriend, it's my duty to help. Now, I know this is going to be hard, but we both need sleep. You go get ready for bed, I'll text Raul and tell him to get the others to meet us at the Intelligence Building at ten." Raven said, trying to keep calm to help him.

Daniel stared at her in shock, his eyes widening as he realized that she was right. He finally sighed and hung his head. He wandered silently to the bathroom as Raven dug her phone from her pocket and sent Raul the text. Once he had confirmed that he would do as she asked, she sighed and dropped the phone on her table. She was exhausted, and wandered into her bedroom sleepily. She quickly changed into a pair of pajamas, and finished just as Daniel walked into the room. He was to tired to notice that he had almost stumbled in on his girlfriend in her underwear; he simply collapsed onto the bed.

Raven sat down and curled up next to him, pushing herself close to him. His only reaction was to curl a lazy arm over her side, and soon both of them were asleep.

Meanwhile, Raul was sitting on the corner of his bed, frantically dialing phone numbers and explaining the plan to everyone as soon as they answered. Once he had contacted almost everyone, he paused and stared at the phone. He knew what else he had to do, though he was loathe to do it. He sighed and finally gave in, dialing that last phone number. It rang for a moment, then was answered by a very sleepy, irritated person.

"What is it, Elite Santana?" Charlie asked drowsily.

"The Parliament Building is gone. We were being lied to this whole time. Alpha and Beta wanted war and anarchy. I'll go into detail later. I just need you to listen to me for now. I need you to send some people to make sure that Alpha and Beta are dead. They're probably in their house. Then, I want your sister tied up, make sure she can't escape. Meet me and the others at the office with her at ten, got it?" he asked urgently.

Charlie was quiet for a minute, then he grunted.

"Yeah, of course. See you then."

He hung up, leaving Raul to contemplate the severity of the situation. With the Alpha and Beta gone, power now rested in the Alpha Heir and Beta Heir, which was Raven at the moment. He knew that they would need help, and hoped that he could provide it. For now, the best thing was to go calm his wife down and go to bed. No good would come from him if he were this exhausted at their meeting later.

Raul sighed and stood up, walking into the kitchen, where his wife sat at a table and drank from a mug of coffee. She was a short, somewhat stout Hispanic woman, but her small stature his a lot of attitude. She smiled softly at him, tears running down her face, and offered him her coffee cup. He shook his head, but she was persistent.

"Drink, mi vida. You're exhausted, and it looks like you have a lot to do today. The whole wide world's just gone to hell, hasn't it?" she asked in a thick Spanish accent.

He smiled wearily and sat down across from her, waving away the coffee.

"Yeah, it's all gone to hell. We screwed up big time. Within a few hours we'll be flooded with reports on battles springing up all over the place as people start listening to what those two insane people said. I expect a full-blown war in as little as a week. All of this, caused by just two insane geniuses." he muttered darkly.

His wife watched him, then reached out and laid one of her small hands over his large one.

"Everything will be okay one day. Maybe people will recognize the craziness and ignore it. Then we can still set up a working government, just like the one you always talk about. We can live in peace." she said soothingly.

"And if they don't? What happens if the people move blindly toward the madness of war and start fighting? This world will fall into chaos and discord." Raul muttered back, his spirits refusing to be raised.

"Then it is better that we have this war, so such foolish people will no longer exist on this planet. Wars cannot last forever, and when they end, peace follows. Maybe after this one there will be peace for a long time."

Raul sighed and cast her a small smile before getting up and stretching. Exhaustion settled deep into his pores, and he could hardly stay awake. He stumbled sleepily from the room and managed to collapse onto his bed after a few minutes of drowsily wandering the house. He sighed again and cocooned himself in blankets, looking at the alarm clock on his bedside table; it was four-ten. Just forty minutes ago, the entire world had been changed by the crazed ideals of just two people. The mere thought of how easily influenced people were made him shiver. There was no doubt in his mind that there would be a war. When people panicked and had no one to tell them what to do, they turned to senseless violence for the answers. The wrong answers, but answers none the less.

He just hoped that those answers didn't spell the end of the world for them.


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter Fifteen**

Raven paced back and forth, chewing on her bottom lip and glancing at the elevator doors every few seconds. The others watched her anxiously, waiting for the same thing she was; Charlie and Eve. Everyone else was already there, but they needed Eve there to continue. They leaned against the outer wall of Raul's office, tapping their feet and shifting impatiently. They groaned and sighed as the minutes ticked by, glancing impatiently at their watches. After a few more minutes, there was a ding, and the elevator doors slid open.

There stood Charlie, looking exhausted and angry, with Eve in tow. She had rope tied around her wrists, and a wad of cloth stuffed into her mouth. Charlie held one end of the rope, and harshly dragged her over to where the others were standing, glaring hard at the trembling woman. Raul nodded and opened his office door, and they filed into the room.

It was a good bit bigger than the other offices, with a large flat-screen television suspended from the ceiling in one corner. Raul nodded to the chair behind his desk, and Charlie unceremoniously tossed his sister into it. The group stood in a circle around her, looking to Raul for instructions. He sighed and cracked his knuckles, thinking.

"Remove that cloth from her mouth. I've got some questions. Untie her wrists, too." he said slowly, watching the woman carefully.

Yafar grinned and walked over to her, tearing the cloth out of her mouth. She yelped in pain as the rough fabric scraped her gums, then glared up at him and bared her teeth.

"I'm not telling you pigs a single thing." she hissed as Yafar removed the rope from her wrists.

"You'll talk, or you'll die for your crimes." Daniel growled back, taking a step toward her.

Raven quickly grabbed him and shook her head; they weren't going to get anything out of her this way. She sighed as he nodded at her slowly, then released him and walked to Eve's side. The frazzled woman glared at her and edged away, scooting her chair as far away as the wall would allow her. Raven ignored her behavior and stood a couple of feet away from her, watching her pityingly.

"They lied to you, didn't they? Told you that there would be some sort of personal gain, that you would be well rewarded for slipping those coded files by us?" she asked slowly, trying to keep her voice as level and flat as possible.

"I said I'm not talking, and I meant that I'm _not_ talking!" Eve spat at her.

Daniel growled, walking to Raven's side and draping an arm over her shoulder.

"Actually, you will talk. Since my mother and father died last night, that makes me the new Alpha. As a member of The Pride, you must do whatever I ask of you. So, you'll talk, or face the consequences. Now answer the question." he hissed angrily, bristling.

Eve chuckled and leaned back, giving him an appraising look.

"How cute. The little pup thinks he can be a big dog now because the other big dogs are gone. I did what I did because I wanted to do it, to work for your parent's ideal. I wanted this war just as much as they did. Now that my goal has been achieved, I have no more reason for life. Kill me if you wish, I don't care anymore." she waved one of her hands to emphasize her apathy.

Daniel's jaw tightened, and he turned away from her bitterly.

"Charlie, take her to the prison. Tell the warden to keep her under strict watch in solitary confinement." he managed to say, trembling in rage.

Charlie immediately did as he ordered, binding Eve's wrists again and dragging her out of the room. Daniel sighed and leaned against the wall, closing his eyes. The others watched him for a moment, then Raven sighed and turned to look at Adam, who was closest to the television.

"Turn the T.V on, and put it on a news channel. We need to see what's going on out there." she said softly.

"Of course." he said just as quietly, grabbing the remote off of the corner of Raul's desk.

He pointed the remote at the television and turned it on, then quickly turned it to a news channel. On the screen was the same newscaster from the night before, looking frazzled and scared. Behind her, they could see buildings with smoke curling out of their windows, and flames licking the walls ravenously. People ran around in the streets, busting in windows and shouting loudly. They could hear children crying from somewhere, and terrified screams seeming to echo from everywhere and nowhere at the same time. Raven shuddered in fear at the terrible sight. She had hoped that order would last for at least a day, but there was no such luck; all hell had broken loose. The newscaster spoke in a frightened, shaky tone as she reported on the situation.

"Behind me you c-can see the remains of downtown Atlanta as it is ransacked b-b-by thieves. After the explosion of the World Parliament Building and the startling address from the two people allegedly behind the plot, supposedly the leaders of the terrorist group known as The Pride, there was a brief period of horrified peace as the world absorbed what had just happened. However, soon people began to listen to what was said during th-the address, and have been going crazy. And it isn't just here. All over the world there has been violence and chaos. I hate to be the bearer of bad news...but World War Four has begun." she stuttered, visibly shaking in terror and looking like she was fighting tears.

The group watched in tense silence as scenes from around the world scrolled by on the screen. They saw buildings burning in Europe, people rioting in China, bodies littering the streets in Japan, and other such scenes of horror. Raul groaned and bent double, holding on to the corner of the desk for support. The others watched him as he struggled to his feet, staring hard at the television.

"We have a lot to do. If we don't act quickly, things will get like that down in The Pride's cities as well. We have to prevent that first. I'm not sure what we can do about the situation up above yet." he said slowly, drumming his fingers against the top of the desk.

"Daniel...you have to do an address. You have to tell everyone to stay calm and not panic." Raven added slowly, looking at him.

He looked back at her nervously, then nodded stiffly, his nervousness replaced by determination.

"We need to go to the studio, then. Come on, let's do this quickly." he replied strongly.

They quickly made their way to the elevator and crammed themselves into it, rushing out once it got to the first floor. The group ran quickly to their separate vehicles, Raven jumping into Daniel's car, and left in a hurry. Raul drove in front and led the rest of them through the middle of the silent city. There was no one outside, and it looked like all of the shops were closed. Raven sighed sadly as Daniel drove, looking around.

"Now it really is Casa de Los Muertos. The house of the dead. This place looks like a ghost town." she murmured sadly.

"Everyone's at home. Still in shock, I guess. That's good for us. It means they're probably watching T.V, so most of them should see my little speech." Daniel replied rigidly.

"Are you nervous about the speech?"

Daniel chuckled and glanced at her.

"No. We have much bigger things to be nervous about, Raven." he answered with a hint of a smile.

She smiled softly to herself, knowing he was right, and spent the rest of the car ride watching the quiet city pass them by. They soon pulled in front of a tall building with gleaming reflective windows; The Pride broadcast studios. Daniel pulled into a parking spot as quickly as he could and jumped out of the car, taking off running toward the entrance to the massive building. Raven rushed after him, the others following close behind her.

Daniel burst in the door, startling the few people who were inside the building. He ran up to a man in a pair of jeans and white t-shirt who had been pacing the floor thoughtfully. The man didn't seem surprised to see him, and greeted him with a curt nod.

"I assumed you would come here soon. Let's go upstairs to the studio. We need to get this address out as soon as we can before people here start acting like everyone else." he said, leading the group to a flight of stairs.

"Is there a way I can send the message all over the world the way my parents did?" Daniel asked as they walked.

"I'm afraid not. Their camera operator seems to have destroyed the connector for that feed, then scampered off. Little rat." their guide muttered darkly, looking ashamed.

"It's okay, James. We had one in our department as well." Raul said comfortingly, laying a hand on the man's shoulder.

"I assumed so. This might have been prevented had you not. Okay, here we are. I'll go get everything ready." James nodded and swiftly walked into a small room at the top of the stairs.

Daniel nodded and led the group to another room. This one was very large, and a green screen hung from the ceiling in front of one of the walls. Several cameras were pointed toward the green screen. Raven and the others lined up on the wall closest to the door as Daniel took his place in front of the green screen. He looked very calm and collected; he had clearly given televised addresses before. After a few minutes of waiting in contemplative silence, the group relaxed a little when James returned.

"Alright. The cameras are ready. I'll give you to the count of three, then it's go time. Is that okay?" he asked Daniel, standing behind the largest camera and mashing a few buttons on it.

"Yes. Now, let's go." Daniel replied calmly, stretching and cracking is neck quickly.

James nodded and held up three fingers, then went to two, then one. Daniel immediately started speaking.

"By now, I am sure that all of you know what has happened. We were all used to push forward the agendas of two deluded, mad people; my parents, out former Alpha and Beta. Their actions have led to the beginning of a terrible war, a war that could lead to the end of the world above as we know it. We can do nothing to stop this war. Our way to communicate with the outside world has been shut down. But I can talk to you, to apologize. I am sorry about all of this. I had no idea about my parent's true intentions. If I had, there is no would way it would have to come to this.

Now I'm here tell you that we cannot let what is happening up there happen here. I'm sure that you have all seen the news reports on television about all of the fighting and chaos going on up above. We have to stay calm down here and wait for the war up above to stop. I will have someone look at setting up one of the cameras to let us communicate with the outside world. I will give another address soon. For now, go on as normal." he finished somewhat weekly and James waved to signal that the filming was done.

Daniel sighed, relieved, and walked back to the others. They nodded at him and clapped him on the back.

"I sounded like an idiot." Daniel said with a slightly embarrassed chuckle.

"You sounded fine. It was simple enough for anyone who heard it to understand." Zane encouraged him with a reassuring smile.

Daniel smiled at him and nodded, then turned to look at an exhausted looking Raul.

"What do we do now?" he asked.

Raul sighed and paced back and forth, his thoughts racing. The address had hope fully been seen by everyone in The Pride all over the world, so it was safe to assume that most people would listen to him. He knew that some people would react to the Alpha and Beta's crazed speech and go crazy, but they could be dealt with. The main problem for now was watching what happened in the world above and waiting for the conflict to end so that order could be restored.

"We need to make sure that our police force is ready to handle retaliation from those people who do give in to blood lust and go berserk. I can call the chief of police here and have him spread the word to our other cities all over the world. We also need to find out who was involved in this plot and capture them. Then we can interrogate them to get a clearer picture of exactly what happened." he said sternly, looking up at them.

"You're right. We also need to restore order here. Which means that you need to start acting as the Alpha. It's good that you made that speech, because it showed the rest of The Pride that we're trying to get things under control." Raven added softly.

Daniel turned his attention to her, then smiled and walked to her side.

"I know. And I'll need someone at my side as my Beta. I don't know if I'm asking to much, but there is no-one else I want in the position. So, will you do it? I guess, in a round about kind of way, I'm asking you to marry me?" he said slowly, his face going a very light shade of pink.

"Wha-Daniel! We've only been together for a few months!" Raven cried out in shock, glancing around at the stunned and eager faces of her friends.

"Er, I know. But The Pride really needs a Beta, she had an important job. She ran a lot of the comfort aspects of the organization, making sure people lived happily here. Plus, I think what we really need right now is some good news. And I care a lot about you, Raven...I love you. Please, for me, for you, for everyone?" Daniel pleaded, the others watching with knowing smiles on their faces.

Raven took a step back, reeling from the sudden turn the day had taken. It had started with the complete collapse of the world as she knew it, and the disheartening of a massive network of people who had only sought world peace. Now she was being proposed to by a man she had only known for a short time. Everything was happening so fast, yet she knew that she couldn't possibly refuse. Daniel was right; The Pride needed good news, and nothing was better than the knowledge that things were going to get better. With a new Beta in place, things could return to some semblance of normal again. She sighed softly to herself and nodded slowly at him.

"Yes, I'll do it." she replied, allowing a weary smile to cross her face.

Daniel grinned widely and pulled her into a tight hug as the others smiled at them. He let her go after a moment of blissful relief, remembering the dire situation that was going on all over the world. He chuckled and cleared his throat awkwardly before turning to look at the others.

"We need to make sure that everything is okay. Elite Santana, I want you to start working on finding out who helped my parents with all of this mess. Jayme, you call the head of police and make sure he knows to lock away anyone behaving illegally on sight, by any means. We have to contain this. Also, tell him to spread the message to the heads of the other police departments in the network. Zane, I want you and Yafar to stay here and help James and his crew figure out a way for us to send a broadcast to the outside world. Adam, go downstairs. You'll find a room with television screens all over the walls. I want you and some of the other people here to monitor what's going on above ground. Call me if anything comes up." he said, his voice saturated with authority.

"Yes, Alpha." they bowed slightly at him and ran off to accomplish their tasks, leaving Raven and Daniel alone.

Raven stared at the green screen in the back of the room, and Daniel wasn't surprised to see tears in her bright blue eyes. He sighed and pulled her into a gentler hug than the one before, rubbing her back. She sniffled softly, then gave in and started crying hard into his shoulder. He stood patiently and waited; he completely understood how she felt.

"Daniel, my family is up there in all of that! My mother, my father...and my friends, Claire and Granger! If they die...this is my fault! I should have known that those files were suspicious!" she whimpered pitifully.

"No, there's no way you could have prevented this. Those files started being sent before you were hired here. This would have happened regardless. It's going to be okay, Raven." Daniel tried to soothe her, but she refused to allow his words to lift her spirits.

"All I wanted was to help make the world a better place. That's what Raul said we were trying to do, over and over again. To get rid of the corruption of the World Parliament and replace it with a government of equality. All I wanted was to help make the peace I desired a reality. And what happens? We've helped bring about the end of the world!" she bawled, her knees wobbling tiredly.

"No we haven't. The world's not going to end now. There have been three World Wars before this one. Plus, I don't think this will last long. People will fight and riot for days, weeks, maybe even months. Then they'll realize that this is wrong. Plus, with no real leaders in place, and people not trusting anyone around them because of the shit my parents fed them over the T.V, they can't organize themselves. Which means there can't be a real war. Now, come on. I'm taking you home so you can sleep." Daniel smiled softly and pulled away, taking her hand and starting to lead her back to his car.

Raven followed him quietly, thinking over what he had said. It was true that people would be to wrapped up in their own panic, fear, and selfish desires to select any permanent leaders. If that stayed true, then Daniel was right; this wouldn't turn into a full-scale war. There would be a lot of death, destruction, and crime, but it would fall under a different category. This wasn't war; this was complete chaos, and chaos couldn't last forever.

Raven allowed herself to relax a little as Daniel helped her into his car, smiling warmly at him as he sat down in the driver's seat. He returned the smile and started the car, pulling out of the parking lot and starting back toward her house. As they drove back to Raven's house, she noticed that a few people were starting to wander the streets. She nudged Daniel on the arm and pointed out at them, and a small smile crossed his lips.

"Looks like your speech worked." Raven said softly, watching as a man unlocked the door to a shop.

"Looks like it." Daniel replied, trying to keep his eyes on the nearly deserted road.

Within a few minutes they pulled up in front of Raven's house and walked into the yard. Snowmelt bounded out to them in excitement, barking and jumping happily. They chuckled at him and petted him, walking to the front door. Raven unlocked the door and pushed it open, letting Daniel pass before following him and locking the door again behind them. They walked into the living room and each collapsed onto the couch, completely exhausted.

"Are you going to stay here for a bit? Maybe catch a nap?" Raven asked sleepily.

"No, I have a few things I need to take care of. Need to call The Pride news channels and get them to report on our engagement, get some newspapers out. We want to get some good news out there soon." Daniel answered, muffling a yawn with the back of his hand.

"We still need to get reports from the outside world."

"I know, that's why I've got Adam watching all of those news reports. I've got to go take care of that, and a few other things. I'll be back later, okay?"

Raven smiled softly and nodded, sprawling out on the couch once Daniel stood up. He smiled back at her and gave her an affectionate peck on the cheek before hurrying from the house. Raven lay in complete silence as she listened to the steadily fading roar of Daniel's car as he drove away. She then sighed and grabbed the remote control off of her coffee table and turned on the T.V. She started flipping through the channels, flinching as scenes of chaos and destruction flashed by from different news channels. She didn't want to see any of that right now; it would only make her upset again.

After a few minutes she settled on an old horror television show from the early 2000's. She hoped that seeing the made-up creatures and situations would distract her from the real horrors of the real world. She found herself drifting in and out of sleep as the show continued, and was constantly having to force herself to wake up. After several minutes of this, she finally gave up and turned off the television. She groaned and rolled onto her side, quickly sinking into a deep sleep.


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter Sixteen**

A loud rap on the door startled Raven awake from her nap. She groaned and looked at her watch, gasping at what she saw; she had been asleep for almost four hours! She immediately jumped off the couch and tried to pat her messy hair into place, giving up when it refused to cooperate. She walked slowly to the front door and pulled it open. She was surprised to see both Daniel and Raul at the door. Daniel chuckled when her saw her hair sticking up and out at odd angles.

"Did we wake you, Raven?" he asked with a playful grin.

"Yes, you did. Come on in, you two can sit in the living room while I go take care of this." Raven grumbled back, meandering back toward her bedroom.

Both men chuckled and followed, sitting down in the armchairs in her living room. They waited patiently for a few minutes until she returned, her hair hidden beneath a black hat.

"It refused to let me fix it, so I covered it up." she said apologetically as she sat down on the couch.

"That's okay. The hat looks pretty good on you." Daniel replied with a smile.

"Thanks. Okay, so what's up?" Raven asked, noticing the suddenly serious look on Raul's face.

Raul sighed and leaned back, ruffling his hair with a tired look etched into his features.

"Today's been a long day. I just wanted to ask what you two plan to do now?" he asked tiredly.

Daniel looked over at Raven and shrugged, not really sure how to answer. Raven sighed and looked down at the floor for a few minutes, thinking. All she could really think to do was assume the duties of the Beta and go from there. She was sure that the atmosphere would be really tense throughout the network for a few weeks. People wouldn't know how to react to the chaos of the world above. And there was the issue of communicating with the upper world.

"I think we need to work on establishing communications with news channels all over the world. We also need to figure out how to make a government that won't become corrupt to install into power, too." she said slowly.

"That can be us, Raven. We can run it just like we're going to run the government here." Daniel said with a smile, taking her hand in his.

Raven looked up at him and shook her head.

"No. This style of government can be corrupted. What happened with your parents is clear proof of that. Besides, I don't want to be in this position forever. It seems like a lot of stress for just two people to handle. Maybe that's what drove your parents into such controlled insanity. It's one thing to be insane. It's another to be able to control it and convince other people that you're fine. I don't want to end up like that." she said firmly.

Daniel looked at her for a moment, mulling over what she had said, then nodded.

"Neither do I. So what do you suggest, Raul?" Daniel turned to look at the older man, who seemed to be deep in thought.

"I suggest we attempt to set up a Democracy like the one the United States of America had, with the Judicial, Legislative, and Presidential branches and all of that. But no political parties. That's part of what divided the once united states in the first place. The Third World War finished the job, but if the people of country had not been fighting amongst themselves then it might have survived." he said somewhat darkly.

Daniel and Raven exchanged looks, then nodded at him. He smiled and stood up, groaning and stretching. He walked over to the door and looked back at them with a weary expression.

"I'll have someone start doing research on the subject in the morning. I suggest both of you get some sleep. We're going to have a rough few days ahead of us." he advised them before leaving.

Daniel sat back in his chair for a minute and seemed to mull something over in his mind, then smiled over at Raven.

"Do you want to go grab some pizza at Gino's?" he asked, startling her.

"Uhm, yeah, that would be pretty cool. Let's go." Raven replied, standing up and stretching.

Twenty minutes later they were sitting in a booth at Gino's, a small pizzeria that Raven had been to a few times with her co-workers. It was decorated with yellow wall paper, and there were several paintings of food hanging up on the walls. There were only a few people inside the restaurant, including Gino himself, who was in the back making the pizzas. One man, with wispy gray hair and dimming brown eyes, approached them and bowed slightly.

"Congratulations on your engagement. These are going to be dark times, but it's nice to see some happiness and love still exists in this world." he muttered, walking back to his booth.

Raven chuckled softly and grabbed Daniel's hand.

"You were right, but I didn't know the report had already gone out." she said.

"Probably because you were asleep on your couch when it did. Don't worry, you'll see it in the newspaper tomorrow morning, I'm sure." Daniel replied happily.

Raven was about to reply, but they were interrupted by Gino bringing them their pizza. He set the pepperoni pizza on the table in front of them. Daniel dug in his pocket for some money, but Gino waved it away.

"Not tonight. This one's on the house tonight, for your engagement. Enjoy it!" the burly Italian man chuckled and waddled away, leaving the couple grinning thankfully behind him.

"Wow, that was nice of him." Raven commented, taking a couple of slices of pizza and digging in.

"Yeah, Gino's a pretty cool guy." Daniel replied, doing the same.

They ate in happy silence for a few brief minutes, enjoying the rich taste of the pizza.

"Damn, this stuff is good. I'm going to have to get him to teach me how to make pizza like this one day." Raven said with a wide grin.

"Definitely. There's another reason I brought you here, Raven." Daniel said slowly, looking at her with a very slight blush on his face.

"Oh?" she asked curiously, tilting her head to one side.

Daniel looked around, then reached into his pocket and pulled out a small, velvet-covered box. He blushed deeper and slid it across the table, making sure that no-one else saw him. Raven blinked at it curiously and picked it up, opening it slowly. She gasped as she saw a silver ring inside the box, and looked up at Daniel happily.

"Daniel, is this...?" she asked softly.

"Yes. I wanted to make our engagement more official. But don't let anyone see the box, just put it on quickly. The public thinks I've already given one to you." Daniel replied with a happy smile.

Raven smiled happily and pulled the engagement ring out of the box, slipping it carefully onto her left ring finger. She held it up to the light and admired how the light's beams glinted off of its shining silver sides. Daniel watched her, a wide grin across his face, and slipped an identical ring onto his own finger. He looked down at his ring for a moment, then looked back at his grinning fiancee.

"Thank you for accepting me, Raven." he said suddenly.

"Of course." Raven piped up happily.

"Thank you for getting to know me a little and not judging me before hand. I'm glad to have met you, and even though we've not known each other for more than a few months, I get a feeling that this is going to work out just fine."

Raven chuckled at him and picked up her glass, lifting it and tilting it toward him a little.

"I propose a toast. To better times, a quick end to this chaos, and a happy marriage." she proclaimed loudly.

The other patrons watched them with happy smiles as Daniel raised his glass and clinked it against hers. They then linked arms and drained their glasses, tilting their heads back and closing their eyes. They then set their glasses down, laughing loudly, and got up. They waved at the other people in the store as they left, hopping into Daniel's car and heading back to Raven's house.

Once they arrived, Daniel led her happily to her front door. She smiled and thanked him, fidgeting with the ring on her finger. It felt somewhat heavy on her finger, and she had to get used to its weight. Daniel noticed and chuckled at her.

"It is something we'll both have to get used to, isn't it?" he asked with a gentle smile.

"Yes, but it's doable. Are you staying here tonight?" Raven replied curiously.

"No, I need to go back home and take care of a few things. I need to call Zane and see how things are going at the studio, too. This is where I bid you goodnight." Daniel spoke softly.

Raven looked up into his worn, tired face. She could see the stress and fatigue etched into it; he looked so much older than he really was! Without even having to think about it, Raven leaned up and gave him a quick, fleeting kiss. He seemed somewhat surprised, but smiled and returned the quick kiss. They stood and looked at each other in serene silence for a moment, then Daniel sighed.

"Well, I need to get going. I expect I'll see you tomorrow. Goodnight, Raven." he bowed slightly and started walking back to his car.

"Goodnight, Daniel. Call me tomorrow and let me know what Zane said. And what I need to start doing, too." Raven reminded him quickly.

"Will do."

Raven walked inside and immediately walked into her bedroom, patting Snowmelt on the head as she passed by him. She quickly changed into some comfortable clothes and jumped onto her bed, groaning sleepily. She shifted around a bit, trying to find a comfortable position, and finally settled into lying on her stomach. She lay in near complete quiet for several minutes, waiting for sleep to carry her away. She couldn't seem to fall asleep, and it bothered her. After a few minutes, she sighed and sat up, looking around the dark room.

She sat for a brief minute, then whistled loudly and waited. She heard the sound of something being knocked over as Snowmelt bounded through the house. He ran excitedly into the room and jumped onto Raven's bed, landing in her lap and knocking the wind out of her. After recovering for a moment, gasping for breath, she started laughing and ruffled his fur lovingly. The dog barked happily, his tail thumping against the bed, and nuzzled her. She smiled and lied down again, wrapping an arm loosely around the large husky. Snowmelt calmed down after a few minutes and lied down next to her, curling up into a ball on top of the covers and making it hard for Raven to wrap them closer around her. She eventually gave up the effort, and soon she gave in to her sleepiness and went to sleep.


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter Seventeen**

Daniel groaned and sat back in his chair, rubbing his eyes and setting the report he had been reading on the corner of his desk. It had been two weeks since the explosion that had destroyed the World Parliament building, and things were only getting worse. There had been hundreds of deaths in places all over the world, as well as other violent crimes. Stores were being looted, forests burned down, hospitals were shutting down due to lack of funding, along with other things. For the past two weeks Daniel had been making sure that things stayed peaceful within The Pride, and he had been successful for the most part. There had been a few scuffles and attempted break-ins, but those had been quickly dealt with by the police. Now that things seemed to have gone back to almost-normal, he was reading reports of what was going on above ground.

"I've got some more for you, as well as another file on Democracy from Elite Santana."

Daniel looked up to see Raven walking into the office, dropping a stack of files on the desk. He sighed and rolled his eyes. Raven had been pretty busy as well, handling the tasks that the Beta was to handle. She read reports for local businesses and helped them with issues, as well as setting up entertainment venues. In her free time, which she had a good deal of in the past couple of days, she had been helping him with the files. She quickly snatched a couple of them up and plopped down in her armchair, stretching and flipping it open. Filing these things was easy for her, considering it was her job when she worked for Raul, but it still frustrated Daniel a little.

"How did the meeting with the people who wanted to put on that concert go?" Daniel asked, grabbing one of Raul's reports on democracy and starting to look through it.

"Pretty good. They're a techno-pop group. They played a few songs for me, had a kind of Basshunter-feel to it. I approved it. They'll be playing in the Big Stadium next weekend." Raven replied happily, clearly enjoying her new job.

"Good, good."

"Anything new from Raul's stuff?"

Daniel sighed and finished reading the first page of the report he was holding before answering her.

"Yeah, a little bit. It's still kind of hard to piece everything together, but I think I've almost got everything figured out." he said slowly.

"Good. Any news from Zane and Yafar on the news feed to the above world?" Raven asked, her voice full of concern; she was very worried about the situation.

Daniel was about to respond, when his phone buzzed loudly in his pocket. He held up a finger to tell her he'd answer her in a minute and pulled the device out of his pocket, flipping it open. Before he could even speak, the person on the other end started speaking frantically. He paused for a moment, then his eyes went as wide as dinner plates.

"Are you serious?" he asked whoever it was.

Apparently they were, for Daniel jumped out of his chair with a wide grin on his face.

"Alright, get everything ready. We'll be there in just a few minutes!" he hung up and stuffed the phone back in his pocket, grinning at raven happily.

"That was Zane. He said that they've got the feed set up to all major news stations all over the world, as well as radio. I'm going to make a speech to them, and newspapers will send the story out as well." he said excitedly.

"Do you think this is going to work?" Raven asked doubtfully.

"It won't happen over night, but eventually people will come to their senses and stop all of this nonsense. Once they do, we'll start setting up the government. Raul's looking into potential candidates for the different positions, until we can have elections above ground."

Daniel raced from the room, Raven hot on his heels. They ran out of the building they had been in, a small work building near the Intelligence and Science department building, and hopped quickly into Daniel's car. Without a moment's hesitation Daniel drove them as fast as he legally could to the news studio. He pulled sloppily into a parking space, nearly hitting a pole, but neither of them cared. The both ran into the building and up the flight of stairs to the studio.

Yafar, Zane, and James waited for them in the studio room, the green screen lowered and ready to go. James immediately walked to the camera and started getting it ready when he saw them. Zane and Yafar approached them, grinning widely at their accomplishment. Raven and Daniel couldn't help but grin back, laughing a little.

"Now we can get the ball rolling and try to get everything under control." Yafar said happily, clapping Daniel hard on the back.

"Yeah, definitely," Daniel replied, turning to look at Raven, "and I want you to help me, Raven."

Raven lifted an eyebrow at him curiously.

"You want me to stand in front of that camera and give a speech with you?" she asked incredulously.

"Yes. I think it would be beneficial to this little mission's success for you to be by my side. If we show the world that we stand united against this chaos, maybe it'll help." Daniel tried to soothe her; it didn't work.

"Are you kidding? What am I supposed to say?" she was very nervous; she had never spoken on camera before.

"Whatever your heart tells you to. That's the beauty of all of this. We say what we feel, appeal to their emotions. Think about it. Every great speech in history has used emotion in it in some way. We do the same thing. Now, are you ready?"

Raven swallowed the lump of fear in her throat and nodded stiffly.

"As ready as I'll ever be, I suppose. Let's get this done." she spoke tensely.

Daniel chuckled and took her hand, leading her to stand next to him in front of the green screen. They waited quietly as James finished setting up the camera, both thinking about what they wanted to say. After another tense, hopeful minute, James looked up and gave them a thumbs up. The camera was ready, even if the people being filmed on it were not. He held up his fingers and started the countdown. Five, four, three, two, one...

"Hello, to the whole wide world out there. If you're seeing this, it means that you still have a television that works. My name is Daniel Wolverhampton." Daniel spoke fluidly.

"And my name is Raven Eromreven." Raven spoke as easily as she could manage, stumbling over only a couple of words.

"We are the new leaders of The Pride, and we have something to say, and to ask. We are sorry about what happened. You see, our goal was to get rid of the corrupt World Parliament and replace it with a more stable and better-functioning government. Our original leaders, my mother and father, told us that this was what we were working toward." Daniel said, turning to cue Raven to pick up where he had left off.

"They lied. We watched in complete horror as they destroyed the building, fed the world their twisted lies and horrible ideals, and then ended their lives. We hoped that we could set up a replacement government quickly, so that a better one could be made during the interim. Instead chaos broke out. People began burning down houses. They began breaking into homes, stores, even churches and hospitals. And most terrifyingly, people began to attack and kill one another. It was a very sad thing to see fellow human beings doing to one another." Raven relaxed as she spoke, he speech became much more fluid.

"Yes, it was terrible to see such chaos befall not just small areas of the world, but everywhere. Now, we plea with you to stop this madness. Don't you see the pain that you're causing? Don't you see that you're destroying everything around you? You're doing exactly what my mother and father, the people who shattered your perception of the world, wanted. You're playing right into their hands. This is exactly what they wanted all of you to do. Don't give them the satisfaction. Please, stop all of this!" Daniel pleaded desperately, tears building up in his eyes.

Raven took his hand and squeezed it, making sure that the camera could see it. She gave him a reassuring nod, then turned her focus back to the camera.

"That's not even the worst part of it. Think of what you believe in. People believe that it's wrong to steal other people's things. That it's wrong to rape other people, or to harass them at all. And people believe that life is a precious gift, the most valuable thing in the universe. And look at what you're doing! Killing, murdering, destroying! You're doing exactly the opposite of what you believe, what you _know_, is right!" Raven spoke dramatically, staring hard at the camera and imagining the faces of the people watching her.

Daniel looked over at her, and she nodded. They turned back to look into the camera and spoke together.

"This is our desperate plea. Please, stop all of this madness. Stop doing such horrible things...before it's far to late."

They both stood and waited for James to signal that he was done filming. Once he did, they relaxed and walked away from the green screen. Daniel squeezed Raven's hand tightly and smiled encouragingly at her.

"That was really good." he said with a small smile.

"Thanks. I just hope that it works." Raven replied, blushing a little.

"Only time can tell. For now, we just keep doing what we've been doing and wait to see what happens." Zane said, yawning.

Raven smiled and pulled him and Yafar into a quick hug. They hesitated for a moment, then returned the hug. She released them, tears sparkling in her eyes, and patted them both on the back.

"Excellent job, guys. You both should go home and rest. You've been working really hard lately." she said softly.

They both grinned at her and bowed slightly.

"We will, thank you. We'll start helping Raul out at the office tomorrow." Zane replied.

"Yes, that's a good idea. I bet he could really use it. He sounds so stressed on the phone."

Raven and Daniel waved goodbye to them, then walked calmly down the stairs. Employees at the studio waved at them as they passed; Daniel and Raven were far less strict about formalities than the previous couple had been. They waved back and jogged out to Daniel's car, climbing in and carefully pulling back out of the parking lot. Daniel drove at a slower pace, not rushing to get back to dull office work. Raven sighed and leaned her head back against the seat, tears dripping softly down her face. Daniel looked over and jumped a little in surprise when he saw her crying.

"Raven, what's wrong?" he asked, concerned.

"I'm just wondering if my parents and friends are okay. Adam still hasn't found any information about them, and I asked him to start looking a week ago." she answered, dabbing at the tears with the edge of her cloak.

"I'm sure they're fine." Daniel tried to reassure her, even though in all reality he had no idea what had happened to any of them.

"But what if they're not? I mean, Claire was a systems analyst for the federal government. She could have been in that building for something when..." Raven stopped, her voice catching in her throat.

"Raven, don't think about things like that. They'll do nothing but cause you grief. For all we know, they could all be hunkered down somewhere, waiting for all of this to end.

Raven was silent for a moment, then spoke up again.

"I wonder if they saw us on the T.V. What they think of me being a part of the group that caused all of this stuff in the first place." she whispered.

Daniel didn't respond; he didn't know how. He had no idea what he was supposed to say to make her feel any better about the situation. He knew it must have hurt to leave her life behind to join this group, only to have it cause one of the biggest catastrophe the world had seen. The thought that her family and friends now knew what she had helped do had surely been weighing on her mind for a long time.

"Why didn't you bring this up before?" he asked softly.

Raven was silent for a few minutes, then spoke so softly that Daniel had to struggle to hear her.

"I didn't want to bring it up when everything else was so serious. It seemed pretty trivial compared to world chaos and mass murder." she said bluntly.

Daniel nodded in understanding, a small frown across his face. They arrived at the small office building again, and walked up to where they had been working in thoughtful silence. When they got back to their office, they sat back down at their separate desks and got back to looking over stacks of files. It was dull compared to what they had just done, but it was a welcome dullness to Raven at least.

The rest of the day passed uneventfully, until Daniel got another phone call. He grumbled and tugged the phone out of his pocket, answering quickly.

"Hello?" he asked blandly.

"Hello, sir. It's Jayme. Raul asked me to call to tell you to turn on your television and watch the news channel in Atlanta." Jayme's voice was loud enough for Raven to hear as well, and she grabbed the remote immediately.

"Okay, thank you. We'll have a look at it right away." Daniel hung up and motioned for Raven to turn on the T.V.

Raven turned it on and started flicking through the channels, stopping once she reached the right one. She was surprised to see Daniel and herself staring back at them, and even more surprised when they began speaking; it was a replay of their speech. Both of them watched in silence as the speech played, saying nothing as they let it wash over them. Once it was done, the screen changed to show the young news woman they had become familiar with. She cleared her throat, then began to speak.

"You have just witnessed a speech played throughout the entire world, apparently from the new leaders of The Pride. People all over the world have seen this, and are reacting in different ways. In some places, they have heeded their pleas and have stopped fighting. They are now trying to clean these areas up and return stolen items to their owners, among other things.

However, the fighting still rages in most places, and has even intensified in some places. It seems we still have a ways to go before all of this will end. Most people are wary of trusting these mysterious new leaders, but only time can tell if their motives are pure." she said emotionally, looking like she was glad that something had worked to stop some of the fighting.

Raven turned off the television, and she and Daniel simply sat and looked at one another in stunned silence for several long minutes. It had worked; only a little, but that was better than nothing. They could only hope that through doing more of these addresses they would earn the trust of the people. They had to if they wanted to restore order.

After a few minutes, Daniel grinned and closed the report he had been reading. Raven smiled and did the same; they had both earned the rest of the day off as well. Daniel stood up and stretched, popping his back with a satisfied groan. Raven watched him with a content look on her face; this was a big step in the right direction. Daniel walked up to her desk and grinned down at her.

"This is it, my love. This is what we've been working for. It's the beginning of the end."


	18. Chapter 18

**Chapter Eighteen**

The tram car shuddered as Raven, Daniel, Raul, and the rest of the people working with him stepped into it. They sat down in nervous silence, casting quick glances around the car. It hadn't moved in five months, when the riots above ground had started, and it groaned a bit at their weight. They ignored it as best as they could and waited for it to move.

For the past several months Raven and Daniel had been giving weekly addresses to the world, in the fond hope that the fighting would die down quickly. It had worked in some places, including the city above their heads. However, there were still isolated places with rioting and crime running rampant. They refused to listen to The Pride's desperate pleas for the fighting to end, and instead committed even more violent acts just to show them up. This angered Daniel to no end, but he kept calm and decided that the best thing to do was move in and start setting up a temporary form of government; they would deal with the unruly places later.

"Do you guys have your weapons?" Raul asked, looking around at his subordinates.

They all nodded and flashed their handguns at him.

"Good. Keep them hidden unless we need them. I don't think we will, but we have to be sure. Remember, we stay with Daniel and Raven. It's our job to act as their body guards." Raul reminded them tensely.

"Yes sir! I'll be the scariest body guard there ever was!" Jayme cheered, trying to shatter the tense atmosphere.

Yafar silenced her giggling with a look, reminding her that this was a very serious situation. She blushed softly and looked away, pouting a bit. Raven chuckled at her and shook her head, trying to swallow her nervousness. She was going above ground for the first time in almost a year, and she wasn't sure how she felt about it. They were going to talk to some of the officials in the city about installing the temporary government in the Federal building in Atlanta, which amazingly had not been looted or destroyed. The part that really made Raven jittery was that her friend Claire was one of the officials they were meeting with.

Daniel sensed he anxiety and took her hand, smiling reassuringly. He was nervous as well; if something went wrong during this meeting, it could delay their plans for another few months. He couldn't let that happen. Most of the responsibility fell onto his shoulders, and it weighed heavily on him. He was just glad that he had his fiancee and his friends at his side to help him.

The group jumped a little as the car jerked roughly, then began to move slowly toward the exit of Casa de Los Muertos. Raven looked back at the city as the tram car grated back toward the massive hole in the floor of the building above them. Hundreds of people stood and watched the car as it ascended, their faces stony masks of anxiety and concern. Raven tried to smile, but couldn't seem to get her lips to cooperate with her. She settled on giving them a friendly wave, which a few of them returned.

"Damn. Everyone looks so nervous. I can definitely relate, though." Zane pointed out, looking back at them as well.

"They're counting on this meeting to go well. They know as well as we do that if something goes wrong..." Raven's sentence trailed off and she turned away from the window.

"It's going to be fine. We have to have faith in that." Raul said soothingly.

They fell into silence again as light began to filter down from the massive hole cut into the ground above them. Raven bit her lip and looked up, her stomach twisted in fear. None of them had any idea what they were going to see on the other side of that gap. For all they knew, the entire city could be little more than ruins by now. They certainly hoped not, but it was a distinct possibility.

Within another minute, the car rose slowly into the above world. A collective gasp left their lips as they saw what the city had become. The building that used to hide the entrance to their base had been completely obliterated. It was only luck and the fear the people who had torn down the place had of the unknown that had kept their city safe.

The rest of the city looked as if hundreds of tornadoes had ripped through it. Some buildings were nothing more than piles of rubble. Others had been set on fire, and were just blackened shells of what they had previously been. Parts of the roads had somehow been torn up, and there were unmistakeable red splotches on the ground in some places. Smoke curled in thin wisps from a few buildings where small fires were starting to go out. People stood out in these wrecked streets, staring suspiciously up at the tram car as it slowly moved over the city.

"Oh..my God...look at all of them...they all look like they've just been released from a prison camp!" Raven groaned, shuddering.

"Most of them probably feel like they have. I hope they'll let us help them." Adam whispered.

"We have to get the severely injured checked out at The Pride Hospital." Jayme noted, spotting a few people with heavy bandages wrapped around different parts of their bodies.

"Yeah, definitely." Daniel agreed, his grip on Raven's hand tightening as they approached the Tram Station.

After several minutes suspended over the ruined city, their car slowly slid into its place at the Tram Station. They sat and waited in silence, and soon the doors grated open. They hesitated, nervous, but quickly worked up the courage to step tentatively out of the car. A group of three people stood several feet away from the car, waiting for them.

One was a short, balding man who appeared to be in his early fifties. He wore a slightly torn and tattered blue business suit, and a crown of graying brown hair circled the bald spot atop his head. He had deep, sad looking hazel eyes, and a tiny hint of a beard grew upon his chin and neck. He nodded curtly at them, his face white with anxiety.

Next to him stood a very tall, stick-thin woman with severe gray eyes and a tight bun of brown hair atop her head. She had a bird-like appearance, and reminded Raven faintly of a hawk or a falcon. She wore a business-type shirt and a long skirt that went well past her knees. She clutched a clipboard tightly in her long-fingered hands, and a pencil stuck out of her bun.

Next to her was a young woman Raven recognized immediately, despite the scratched along her face and arms; Claire. Her friend gave her a small, rigid smile as she looked her over. All of Claire's previous joviality seemed to have been washed away, replaced with bitterness and pain. She looked exhausted, and her clothes were tattered and frayed.

After a few minutes of awkward, observant silence, the balding man spoke.

"Welcome to what used to be Atlanta. My name is Mr. Krebs. These are my assistants, Mrs. Joven and Mrs. Fairbanks." he spoke stiffly, motioning first to the tall woman, then to Claire.

"It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance. I am Daniel Wolverhampton, and this is my fiancee, Mrs. Raven Eromreven. These are our friends and co-workers." Daniel motioned to them.

"Yes, we assumed so. Well, it would be dangerous for us to take you out of the station, because the people of the city do not really trust you all that well. We shall have our little discussion in one of the offices here." Mr. Krebs started walking toward the far side of the room, motioning for them to follow him.

They followed him to a set of small rooms, all with only a round table and several office chairs inside. Daniel and Mrs. Joven walked inside, with Mr. Krebs close behind them. Raven and the others went to follow, but Mr. Krebs turned and held up a hand, stopping them.

"I apologize. As Mr. Wolverhampton is the main leader of the group, and the one in charge of the governmental proceedings, we wish to speak to him alone." he said bluntly.

Raven bristled and was about to retort, but Raul spoke first.

"I am involved in this project as well. I will accompany Mr. Wolverhampton." he spoke firmly, making it clear that he wasn't taking no for an answer.

Mr. Krebs looked at him for a moment, then nodded and allowed Raul to follow him into the room, leaving the others standing outside the room with a very nervous-looking Claire. Raven sighed and turned slowly to look at her former best friend, tears in her eyes at how beat-up she looked.

"Claire...I'm so sorry..." she managed to sputter, not sure what else she could possibly say.

Claire watched her for a minute, then gave in and nodded.

"It wasn't your fault. As you've said in your announcements, all you wanted was to free the world. I'm not glad that all of this chaos and destruction happened...but I can say that I am happy for a new start. Turns out, being a systems analyst is pretty boring." she joked lightly, trying to relieve the tension hovering thick in the air.

Raven smiled and hugged her friend, letting the tears flow freely from her eyes. Claire hesitated, then smiled and returned the hug. Raven pulled back, sniffling, and looked at her once again.

"You look like a mess. What happened?" she asked, concerned.

Claire chuckled and shook he head.

"Nothing serious. I was picking through the rubble of a building because I thought I heard someone trapped under it, and I slipped and slid down a pile of chipped stones. It didn't feel good, but I've seen a lot worse these past few months." she responded with an embarrassed smile.

"Claire...you wouldn't happen to know what happened to my parents, and Granger, would you?" Raven asked slowly.

Claire sighed and leaned against the wall.

"Your parents are fine. I saw them a few days ago, actually. We talked about you. They said they were worried about you, but don't worry. They aren't upset with you or anything, considering we all thought you had been murdered. As for your partner...I have no idea what has befallen him. I'm sorry." she apologized sadly, looking down at her feet.

Raven nodded slowly and let this information sink in. Her parents were alive; alive, and not angry with her! It concerned her that Claire knew nothing about Granger, but she couldn't be sad knowing that at least her parents were okay. She gave a content sigh and leaned back against the wall next to her friends, waiting for Daniel and Raul to come back out of the meeting. After an hour and a half of idle chatter and impatient groans, the door to the office eased open. Daniel, Raul, and the two business officials filed carefully out of the small room.

"Thank you for your time. We hope to speak with all of you in a weeks time." Mrs. Joven said in a firm but pleased tone.

"We will be there." Daniel replied just as firmly, motioning for them to get back into the tram.

They were quick to do so, cramming themselves back into the small tram car. Daniel and Raul followed, taking their places on Raven's sides. Raven turned and waved to Claire, who smiled and waved back as the tram doors slid shut. As the tram began to shudder to life, getting ready to leave, Raven turned back to look at Daniel. He had a satisfied smirk plastered to his face, and looked very pleased with himself.

"Well? How did it go?" she pressured him urgently.

He hesitated for a moment, taking in the group's tense stares with amusement, before finally answering.

"They have agreed to see all of us next time, and to hear our plan in more detail. In other words, we got what we needed." he crowed happily.

The group cheered as Raven hugged him tightly, crying happily. Daniel chuckled, patting her on the back as the tram began to make its way over the city again. He smiled and looked out over the city, letting the smile slip off of his face. This was a small victory compared to all of the work that still needed to be done. It was a start, but it would take years to get things to where he wanted them. Years of hard work, sweat, and pain. But it was a job he felt he was more than ready to do.

Daniel let the smile return to his lips as he thought about the future he envisioned. People walking happily down the streets, children sitting in schools and learning their history. And no more pain, sadness, or fear. He wanted to make a world where no one would have to suffer ever again, where people could live happily without government completely controlling their lives. That was his goal. That was The Pride's goal.


End file.
